JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State men's basketball team found itself back in the win's column Saturday with a 109-77 home victory over Reinhardt University to close out non-conference play.
 
A career-high 20-point performance from freshman De'Torrion Ware helped JSU land its second win in as many tries at Pete Mathews Coliseum this season. The Hopkinsville, Ky., native was 7-for-13 from the floor, including a 6-of-11 clip from beyond the arc to total the most 3-point buckets made by a Gamecock in a single game this year.
 
De'Torrion Ware made a lot of shots for us tonight," head coach Ray Harper said. "He is going to be a very good player. He's getting better every day, and he gave us a good lift here tonight in a game that needed him."
 
Prior to Saturday's game, the Gamecocks were a combined 4-for-32 from beyond the arc for their last two games. Including Ware's six buckets from downtown, Jacksonville State totaled 39 points on 13-for-30 shooting from 3-point range against the Eagles.
 
Along with improving to 8-2 over its last 10 games, Jacksonville State bucketed 100 points for the second time this season, coupled with a 101-61 win over Carver College on Nov. 28. It is the first time since the 1995-96 season – Jacksonville State's first year at the Division I level – that the Gamecocks have recorded multiple 100-point games in a single season.
 
JSU clung to a seven-point advantage at the half, leading 48-41 in a period dominated by 3-point shooting. During the stanza, Jacksonville State was 8-for-18 and RU was 9-for-14 from long range.
 
Ware was 5-for-8 during the period, with every shot coming from behind the line, for a half-best 15 points. But double-digit scoring efforts from Reinhardt's Latroy Strong, Cody Carden and Michael Mays kept the Eagles competitive through the first 20 minutes. The three combined for 34 of the visitors' 41 points and accounted for all nine 3-pointers in the half.
 
"Reinhardt shot the ball really well in the first half," Harper said. "And we didn't do a lot to stop them, but we were better in the second half. They shot 65 percent from three, we didn't get them off the line, we got beat off the bounce and we were very undisciplined in the first half. We were better in the second half."
 
When asked what he told the team at the break in the locker room, Harper grinned and said, "I asked our guys if they could please play better the second half."
 
And the Gamecocks did just that, finding their second gear to outscore the Eagles 61-36 in the closing period. Ware added five points to his first-half total to arrive at 20, while redshirt sophomore lit it up with 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting to tie his career-best of 15 points.
 
Including Ware and St. Hilaire, six Gamecocks wound up scoring in double-figures. Jason Burnell scored a third-most 14 and Ty Hudson had 13, while Christian Cunningham and Marlon Hunter each ended the night with 12 points.
 
Four Eagles scored in double-digits, led by Strong's 18. Reinhardt's leading scorer, Samuel Bunkley, and Michael Mays each had 15, while Cody Carden had 11 points.
 
Jacksonville State now readies itself for conference play, opening the Ohio Valley slate Thursday in Nashville, Tenn., with an 8 p.m. tip against Belmont on ESPNU. The matchup with the Bruins will be followed by a Saturday contest at Tennessee State at 5 p.m.
 
The Gamecocks return home Thursday, Jan. 10 to host Eastern Illinois at 7:15 p.m.
 
Season tickets and single-game tickets are now available for purchase online at JSUGamecocksTickets.com, by phone at (256) 782-8499 and on campus at the JSU Ticket Office at Kennamer Hall. Children 18-years-old and under and JSU students are admitted free.
 
For more information on the JSU men's basketball team, follow the Gamecocks on Twitter (@JSU_MBB). For more on all Gamecocks sports teams, follow the official social media accounts of JSU Athletics on Twitter (@JSUGamecocks), Facebook (Facebook.com/JSUGamecocks), Instagram (@JSUGamecocks) and Snapchat (@JSUGamecocks).