EVANSVILLE, Ind. - The upset bid of top-seeded and No. 22 ranked Belmont in the semifinals of the 2018 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament fell just short for the Jacksonville State women's basketball team, who fell 63-53 on Friday afternoon inside the Ford Center.
 
The Gamecocks (19-12, 12-6 OVC) had a tough task ahead of them attempting to dethrone the defending two-time tournament champions who entered the day having won their last 44 games against conference opponents, and were ranked No. 22 in the nation with a 29-3 overall record.
 
Jax State didn't back down, leading for 19:19 of game time, while the Bruins held the advantage for only 18:17. The potent BU offense was limited to just 63 points, and held to 7-of-27 from three-point distance. The Bruins had the edge at the charity stripe where they shot twice as many free throws as JSU, hitting 14-of-18 attempts.
 
Senior Tasha Magruder and freshman Kiana Johnson led offensively with 10 points each, while senior Gretchen Morrison added nine on a trio of outside shots as fellow senior Tyler Phelion scored seven points to go along with a team-high seven rebounds in her final game for the red and white.
 


Magruder hit back-to-back buckets to open the game and stake JSU to a quick 4-0 lead, which turned to 9-2 after Morrison drained her first triple of the day. BU closed the gap back to one by the end of the period, 15-14, but didn't see the lead until 2:27 remaining before halftime when the Bruins grabbed a 22-21 advantage.
 
Belmont later led by two as the seconds ticked off before the half when BU's Darby Maggard missed a three-pointer with under five seconds remaining which was hauled in by Johnson who raced the length of the court for a layin at time expired, tying the contest at 25 going into the locker rooms.
 
Freshman Jayla Walker scored five of her seven total points in the third as the Gamecocks remained on pace with their nationally-ranked opposition through three quarters. BU led by one on the final possession of the period, when a loose rebound shot out to the Bruins' Jenny Roy who buried a dagger three as the horn sounded to make it 41-37 heading to the fourth.
 
JSU remained within four with under eight minutes to play when consecutive BU triples suddenly handed the Bruins a 10-point advantage with 5:05 on the clock. Belmont never led by more than 11 in the closing minutes, but the Gamecocks could only cut the deficit to seven as the two sides traded shots down the stretch.
 
Jax State wraps up the season with a 19-12 mark, tying the program's Division I record for wins in a season, joining the ranks of the 2014-15 squad which seniors Leah Strain, Phelion and Morrison were also a part of. The team also set the Division I record for conference wins in a season with 12, earning the No. 4 seed to the conference tournament where they advanced to the semifinals after being predicted to finish 10th and seventh, respectively, by league coaches and media during the preseason.