JACKSONVILLE – After losing the lead with 7:20 remaining in the second quarter, the Jacksonville State women's basketball team trailed the remainder of the game against Tennessee State, except for the final two seconds in a stunning comeback.
 
Down by as many as 13 in the second half, JSU entered the fourth quarter in a 10-point hole, 51-41. A layup by freshman Taylor Hawks with 15 seconds remaining pulled JSU within one, and the ensuing free-throw from being fouled knotted the score at 61. Sophomore Morgan Towells swooped in stealing the inbounds pass and found Chloe Long who was fouled with 2.8 seconds on the clock. The Hazel Green, Ala., native hit just one of two free throws, but it was all JSU needed as Tennessee State could not get a shot off in the final possession.
 
The win propelled the Gamecocks (15-10, 9-5 Ohio Valley) to their ninth conference win of the season for just the fifth time since joining the OVC in 2004. 
 
Fittingly, senior Tyler Phelion led the Gamecock scoring on Senior Day with a season-high 17. She was the only Gamecock to reach double figures as Hawks and Rayven Pearson each finished with nine. Pearson hauled in a team-best nine boards as well.
 
The Gamecocks jumped out to a 12-7 lead midway through the opening period and led 16-12 after the first 10 minutes of action. A 15-1 run for the visiting Lady Tigers handed the lead to TSU who held the advantage for nearly 29 minutes. TSU took a 38-25 lead into the halftime locker room, before Jax State began to chip away in the second half.
 
Remarkably, JSU conducted its comeback without a single three-point basket. The Gamecocks were 0-for-13 from behind the arc for the game. It marked the first time JSU was held without a single trey in a game in a span of 125 games dating back to an 0-for-4 day at Belmont on Jan. 6, 2014.
 
JSU scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to two. TSU's Tia Wooten hit a jumper midway through the period to end the Lady Tigers' drought. Wooten finished with 15 points, behind TSU's Kaliya Griffin who had a game-high 19.
 
Kiana Johnson's long jumper with under two minutes left pulled JSU back within four once against at 57-53. Phelion and Pearson helped get JSU within striking range late, before Hawks made her crucial drive in the closing seconds.
 
JSU travels to Murray State and Austin Peay next weekend looking to further secure its spot in next month's OVC Tournament held at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind., Feb. 28 - March 3.