OXFORD, Miss. – Jacksonville State's women's basketball team picked up its first "Power Five" win in four seasons upsetting Ole Miss, 60-49, inside The Pavilion on Sunday afternoon.
 
Redshirt-senior Destiney Elliott finished 8-for-17 from the floor to lead the Gamecocks (4-3) with 20 points. The Rebels (3-6) were led by Crystal Allen's 19 points in what became JSU's first win of the season after trailing at halftime.
 
Jax State forced 20 turnovers, while committing just eight, and assisted on 14 of its 23 made field goals. Despite OM having higher shooting percentages overall, from three-point and free throws, it was JSU in the closing minutes that continued to extend its lead.
 
Sporting full black uniforms for the first time, JSU jumped out to a 12-6 lead after freshman Yamia Johnson's first triple of the game broke a 9-9 tie. Johnson would finish with three of JSU's six three-pointers on the day and tally 15 points to join Elliott and Pearson in double figures. The Rebels overcame the early deficit to lead 20-15 at the end of the first period.
 
After a hot-shooting opening-quarter, the two sides stepped up the defense and brought the second period to a standstill for more than five minutes. Each team added just three points before the media timeout with 4:50 remaining before halftime. The Gamecocks began to chip way at the narrow deficit until a Taylor Hawks layup evened the score at 25-25 with just over a minute remaining in the half. Ole Miss' Allen hit a step-back three with eight seconds left to send the Rebels into the half up 28.25.
 
Ole Miss scored first in the second half, but JSU responded with a 6-0 run to force a home team timeout. Following a laup from Elliott, the Gamecocks went ahead, 31-30 on a steal and quick jumper by freshman JuToreyia Willis. JSU continued a 12-2 run to begin the period en route to outscoring the Rebels 22-13 in the third quarter to head to the fourth up 47-41. The 22 points were the most by the Gamecocks in any quarter this year outside of 24 in the first quarter against Division II Montevallo in its last game.
 
In the fourth, it was once against Ole Miss who struck first to pull within four, but a pair of free throws from Johnson slowed the confidence. Up five with just over five minutes to play, Jax State was given a boost from a corner-three by Elliott to make it 52-44. Pearson then handed JSU its first double-digit advantage with two of her 11 points on the day. The senior from Hazel Green, Ala., saw her run of double-digit rebound games end with just nine on Sunday, but recorded two of JSU's three blocks in the big win.
 
JSU led by as many as 13 as the clock ticked under a minute placing the Gamecocks on the verge of its first win over Ole Miss in the fourth all-time meeting. A late OM basket brought the final score to 60-49.
 
JSU's last "Power Five" conference victory came on Nov. 14, 2014, when coach Rick Pietri led JSU to a 64-62 road win over Alabama in just his second season after taking over a 1-27 program.
 
The Gamecocks are now off until Dec. 12, when they travel to Alabama A&M.