JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State men's basketball team improved to 6-0 in conference play for just the second time in program history with its 65-48 win over Tennessee Tech Saturday night at Pete Mathews Coliseum.
Ray Harper's Gamecocks tied Mark Turgeon's 1999-00 team for the best conference start in the program's Division I history, and also matched the school's longest winning streak of the D-1 era at seven in a row with the Saturday victory.
With Austin Peay's 85-83 loss to Eastern Kentucky and Murray State's 82-72 win over SIUE, the Gamecocks and Racers remain the only two unbeatens in the Ohio Valley Conference.
After going down eight, Tennessee Tech got rolling with a 7-0 run halfway through the first period. The Golden Eagles pulled within two points of Jacksonville State's lead, 18-16, with the help of a couple of layups along with a 3-pointer from freshman forward Garrett Golday.
With the advantage in jeopardy, Jacksonville State answered with an 11-point run that kept TTU scoreless for more than five minutes. From the 7:54 mark until halftime, the Gamecocks outscored the Golden Eagles 23-14.
Senior forward
Christian Cunningham scored eight points off the bench to pace JSU's offensive effort through the first 20 minutes, leading to a 34-21 lead at the half.
Ty Hudson tallied a second-best six while
Jamall Gregory,
Jacara Cross,
Jason Burnell,
Marlon Hunter and
Detrick Mostella scored four each.
Cross and Cunningham were impassible for the TTU offense in the half, rejecting a combined five would-be baskets. Cross swatted three shots while Cunningham had two. Six in the half by the Gamecocks tied the season's best mark for rejections against a Division I opponent.
Jacksonville State struggled in the second half to the Golden Eagles but was able to overcome a Tennessee Tech spark that dwindled a 20-point lead to just seven points with 7:20 left in the game.
"Give Tennessee Tech credit, but we lost focus," Harper said. "We weren't a team tonight that took that 20-point lead and was going to build it to 30. We took the 20-point lead and relaxed. When we came out of that timeout, I told our staff that our guys weren't focused."
JSU led 41-21 early in the closing period. A seven-point run to begin the half was highlighted by a 3-pointer from Gregory forced TTU head coach Steve Payne to call a timeout less than two minutes in.
Following the called timeout, Payne's Eagles outscored Jacksonville State 21-8 for the next 11 minutes. Four of JSU's 16 turnovers came during the stretch, pushing the Gamecocks' turnover total to its highest in nine games.
The under-eight media timeout came just in time for Harper, allowing the coach to make a couple of subs and slow TTU's momentum.
Burnell scored six of his 14 points for the remainder of the game. Hudson pitched in two and Gregory added a massive dunk that rocked Pete Mathews Coliseum. The Gamecocks finished the game on a 14-6 run.
Burnell finished the night with his eighth double-double of the season. Along with his 14 points, the senior tallied 14 rebounds and was 8-for-8 from the free-throw line.
Center Micaiah Henry finished with 11 points for Tennessee Tech. Forward Courtney Alexander led the Golden Eagles with seven boards.
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).
