JACKSONVILLE – A late surge by visiting UT Martin downed the Jacksonville State women's basketball team on Thursday evening as the Skyhawks claimed a 61-57 overtime victory.
 
UTM's Janekia Mason hit her only three-point attempt of the night – a desperation attempt – with two seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game at 49, and send the game to overtime after JSU led by as many as six with under three minutes to play. The Skyhawks (9-12, 5-4 Ohio Valley) tiik advantage of their extra chance, with 12 points in the five-minute overtime period, after scoring just three over a 10-minute span earlier in the third quarter.
 
The Gamecocks (12-8, 6-3) dropped a conference game at home for the first time since losing to Southeast Missouri on February 1 of last year. At the midway point of the OVC's 18-game league slate, Jax State sits tied for third with Morehead State, a team JSU will win a potential tie-breaker over after already sweeping the Eagles this season.
 
Morgan Towells led the Gamecock offense with 11 points off the bench to finish as the only player in double figures. Chloe Long set a new career-high with 14 rebounds, collecting a dozne of those on the defensive glass. Nine of the 10 Gamecocks that played scored at least four points, but JSU collectively hit just 19 of their 71 attempts for a 26.8 percentage.
 
Despite the offensive struggles, JSU's stellar defense kept the Gamecocks in the game throughout. Trailing 30-24 just before halftime, Towells hit her only triple of the game to pull JSU within three heading in to the locker room.
 
Jax State's defense stepped up big in the third, holding a prolific UTM offense that is averaging nearly 75 points per game in league play, to just three points in the period. Outscoring UTM, 12-3, in the third sent JSU to the fourth up 39-33, their largest lead of the game. JSU still held the six-point margin until UTM's Kendall Spray buried a three to cut the lead in half with 2:26 remaining. Spray would finish with a game-high 25 points.
 
With 10.1 seconds left, Towells sank consecutive free throws to build JSU's one-point lead back to three, before Mason hit UTM's saving shot on the ensuing possession.
 
Going to extra time for the first time this season, JSU has now lost its last three overtime games going back to a the 2015-16 season.
 
The Gamecocks will regroup and get set to host Southeast Missouri at 4:30 on Saturday.