JACKSONVILLE – Miami University scored the opening 22 points of the game and the Jacksonville State women's basketball team suffered its first loss since November 24, falling 58-41, Tuesday evening inside Pete Mathews Coliseum.
 
While the Gamecocks (6-4) stumbled on just 1-of-15 shooting in the opening period, which was capped by Taylor Hawks' late basket, the RedHawks (8-2) from Oxford, Ohio, shot nearly 60-percent to build the early advantage. JSU did score the first seven points of the second quarter to quickly fight back to within 13, but Miami eventually evened the momentum to lead 30-14 at halftime.
 
Senior Rayven Pearson notched her fifth double-double of the year with a season-high 12 rebounds while matching a career best with 17 points. She was an efficient 8-for-12 shooting, but the rest of the Gamecocks unfortunately combined to go just 11-for 46. Redshirt-senior Destiney Elliott finished with nine points, followed by Hawks with seven.
 
After allowing 22 points in the opening 10 minutes, JSU held Miami to just 21 over the next two quarters to be within 14 going into the final period. Lauren Dickerson and Kendall McCoy made the first buckets for the RedHawks in the fourth to continue their leading efforts that featured 24 and 15 points scored for Miami. JSU fought back to threaten to make it a single-digit deficit with just under four minutes remaining, but the RedHawks once again shut the door on their way to their second-straight win over the Gamecocks.
 
The 41 points scored was the lowest of the season for JSU by 10 points since its last loss to Washington State (64-51) on November 24. The setback was just the fifth inside The Pete for JSU in its last 19 true home games.
 
The Gamecocks will break for the Christmas holiday before returning to host Troy on Decemver 29.