MURRAY, Ky. – A late Murray State rally handed the Jacksonville State men's basketball team a 68-60 loss at the CFSB Center on Thursday night.
 
Despite 15 points from Marlon Hunter and 12 points from Christian Cunningham, Murray State's Jonathan Stark amassed 32 points and proved to be the difference in the game down the stretch.
 
JSU rebounded from a slow first-half start, turning the ball over eight times and managing just 23 points, to scoring 37 points in the second half with just four turnovers.
 
"We competed tonight, but we had too many turnovers in the first half," head coach Ray Harper said. "We did a good job in the second half of taking care of the ball, but Murray State is a good basketball team. They don't lose much here, and we had a great opportunity to take one tonight."
 
The Gamecocks held Murray State to 29 first-half points. It was the second-lowest first-half point total by the Racers this season, and second only to the 26 points they were limited to on Jan. 11 in their first meeting with Jacksonville State.
 
Defense ruled in the first as both teams were held to under 40 percent shooting. Jacksonville State was 9-for-28 from the floor and Murray State was slightly better at 11-for-28. JSU totaled five blocks in the period, led by three from Christian Cunningham, while the Racers picked up five steals.
 
The Gamecock offense clicked in the second half and stormed back to take a 45-43 lead late in the contest. Beginning at the 12:56 mark, JSU went on a 12-1 run that lasted nearly five minutes, which included an 8-0 span, that saw Hunter score four points and the Gamecocks erase an 11-point deficit.
 
The Jacksonville State advantage did not last long, however, as Murray State responded with a big run of its own. The Racers' Stark scored 10 points in the first and had been held to just three points before the Gamecocks took their two-point lead. After that, the guard went off for 22 points and was responsible for 11 consecutive points to put MSU back in front for good.
 
"Stark took some tough shots and made them," Harper said. "We battled and took a two-point lead,but you have to give him credit. He made some big-time shots."
 
The Gamecocks continue their two-game road swing Saturday, Feb. 17 in Clarksville, Tenn., against Austin Peay. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Winfield Dunn Center and will stream live on the OVC Digital Network.
 
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).