CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – For the third-consecutive game, the Jacksonville State women's basketball team overcame a fourth-quarter deficit of at least seven points, this time on the road at Austin Peay, topping the Governors 51-50 on senior Tasha Magruder's last-second free-throws.
 
The Gamecocks (17-10, 11-5 Ohio Valley) matched a school-record with their 11th OVC win of the season, equaling the 2015-16 team which finished 11-5 in a 16-game schedule. This year, the OVC expanded conference play to 18 games. JSU will host nationally-ranked Belmont on Wednesday, Feb. 21, in the final home game of the season at Pete Mathews Coliseum in a contest that has been tabbed as a "Black Out" for fans.
 
JSU trailed 41-32 entering the final period, before rallying for its second one-point win of the past week. After Morgan Towells came away with a huge steal down one in the final minute, the Gamecocks worked the ball down low to Magruder who was fouled going up for a shot with five seconds remaining. The senior from Taneytown, Md., was just 5-for-35 (.143) from the free throw line through JSU's first 26 games. On Saturday, she was 2-for-2. First tying the game, and then lifting JSU to the lead after trailing for more than 22 minutes of the contest.
 
APSU advanced the ball to the frontcourt with a timeout after JSU took the lead, but its final possession was stuffed by a game-saving block from senior Tyler Phelion.
 
Chloe Long finished the game with a team-high 11 points and 11 rebounds in her second-career double-double game. She had critical baskets at the end of the second and third quarters which snapped separate scoring droughts for the Gamecocks. Phelion also reached double figures with 10 points, five boards and four blocks.
 
Although her final free throws were the biggest, Magruder ended the night with eight total points to go along with five rebounds.
 
The opening 20 minutes of action featured five ties and eight lead changes as JSU and APSU battled back-and-forth inside the Dunn Center. After a 12-12 score at the end of the first, JSU lead by a slim 26-25 margin at intermission.
 
The Gamecocks staked their largest lead of the game early in the third on Magruder's opening layup that gave JSU a three-point cushion at 28-25. From there, the Govs shut down JSU's offense with a 16-2 run to grab a 41-30 advantage late in the period.
 
In the fourth, Phelion got the comeback started with a triple when trailing by 10 with just over eight minutes remaining. Free throws, despite JSU missing nine total on the night, helped Jax State pull within three at 46-43 after Taylor Hawks hit a pair with 3:52 on the clock. Still down three with under a minute to play, Hawks took a defensive rebound the length of the court to make it 50-49 with 41 seconds to play.
 
Towells made her big steal reminiscent of the Tennessee State finish a week ago on the ensuing possession leading to Gamecocks' final drive which ended with Magruder at the charity stripe.
 
JSU remains in fourth-place in the league standings with two games to go. Jax State will host Belmont on Wednesday in a "Black Out" contest, before concluding the regular season on the road at Tennessee Tech on Feb. 24.