JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State men's basketball team claimed its fourth Ohio Valley Conference win in a row Saturday night with a historic 90-54 victory over Southern Illinois University Edwardsville at Pete Mathews Coliseum.
 
Jacksonville State's 36-point win over the Cougars is the largest margin of victory over an OVC opponent in program history, and it marks the first time JSU has begun an OVC season with an undefeated 4-0 start. It is the best start to league play in the Gamecocks' Division I history since going 6-0 to begin Atlantic Sun play in 1999-00.
 
JSU's smothering defense held SIUE nearly 22 points below its 75.4-points-per-game average and kept the Cougars shooting average to 30.4 percent for the contest. SIUE had just 17 buckets on 56 attempts.
 
"We were pretty good both halves," head coach Ray Harper said. "I thought we were really good right out of the gates. We had one little stretch where we weren't as good, but we held them to 24 in the first half. We still have some things we need to correct, but, for the most part, I thought we were solid and our guys play really well.
 
"Ty Hudson had five assists and one turnover. We'll be in good shape if we keep getting that out of him, and Jacara Cross scored 15 points in 15 minutes. He has been really good for us lately."
 
Cross' 15 points sets a new career-high for the forward, surpassing his previous high of 14 scored his freshman year at Tennessee Tech.
 
Jacksonville State owned the glass, totaling 47 boards. JSU's rebounding performance is the best against a D1 program this season, while SIUE's 24 rebounds are the least allowed to an opponent all year.
 
The Gamecock defense limited SIUE to just two points through the game's first eight minutes. The Cougars shot 10 percent, 1-for-10, until a basket at 12:10 gave them their third and fourth points. By that time, Jacksonville State had amassed a 10-point lead.
 
The Cougar's 24 first-half points was the second-lowest point total for a JSU opponent in the first period this season.
 
Senior Marlon Hunter scored a half-best 10 points to pace the Gamecocks in the first. The senior was 5-for-8 from the floor with all 10 points coming on 2-point field goals, ensuring his 12th double-digit scoring effort of the season.
 
Jacksonville State's 14-point lead at the half, 38-24, was the largest of the season against an OVC opponent.
 
The Gamecocks blasted SIUE 52-30 in the second period to record their highest-scoring half against a Division I opponent this year. Burnell led the offensive barrage in the closing stanza with 10 points, while redshirt sophomore Derek St. Hilaire pitched in nine off the bench.
 
Starting forward Jason Burnell played 29 minutes Saturday – the least minutes he's seen since playing just 25 minutes against Reinhardt – and recorded a game-best 17 points and nine rebounds.
 
In total, Jacksonville State led for nearly 39 minutes while the score was tied 2-2 for just more than one minute. JSU outscored SIUE by a whopping 48-18 and 21-13 off turnovers.
 
Senior guard David McFarland led the Cougars on offense with 10 points while last week's OVC Freshman of the Week Cameron Williams managed nine.
 
The Gamecocks continue their four-game homestand Thursday, Jan. 17 with a 7:15 p.m. matchup with Belmont. JSU then squares off against Tennessee Tech at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 19. Both games will broadcast live on ESPN+.
 
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 Pete Mathews Coliseum. 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).