MIAMI, Fla. – Despite three Gamecocks in double figures, the Jacksonville State women's basketball team fell late to Northern Kentucky in the opening game of the 2019 FIU Thanksgiving Classic.
 
The Gamecocks (3-4) led for most of the contest until a late four-minute scoring drought opened the door for a late NKU (3-4) comeback in a 66-63 setback at the Ocean Bank Center in Miami.  
 
Junior Taylor Hawks led the way with 18 points, followed by junior Jayla Walker with a career-high 12 and redshirt-senior Chloe Long with 10. Long's seven rebounds also matched a team high along with Destiney Elliott.
 
Jax State started fast with baskets from Elliott, Kiana Johnson, who finished with six points, and Hawks, the Gamecocks led 11-2 in the opening minutes forcing NKU to use and early timeout. JSU grew the lead to as many as 13 in the first, but a late three-pointer for the Norse made it a 10-point game heading into the second.
 
The triples continued to fall for NKU in the second period as the black and gold fought their way back within four at 30-26, before Walker buried one of her three treys to extend the JSU margin back to seven. Unfortunately, a 7-0 run over the final two minutes of the half for NKU sent the teams into the locker rooms all even at 33.
 
In the third, Hawks and Long opened with a pair of scores each to boost Jax State back in front, 41-35, but the Horizon League foes continued to chip away. Tied at 44, Jessie Day sank a pair of free throws to stave off NKU momentarily, until the Norse grabbed their first lead of the day at 47-46 with under a minute to go in the third.
 
The two sides exchanged the lead eight times in the final 10 minutes. Still down one, a three by Elliott put JSU back ahead 53-51, but NKU would respond with its own deep ball to go back up 56-55 near the midway point of the quarter. With just over four minutes to play, Hawks pushed JSU out to a 59-56 advantage with a layup, but the Gamecocks would go cold from the floor as NKU made one last push.
 
After a series of missed opportunities on the offensive end for JSU, NKU hit seven free throws in the final minutes to edge out to its largest lead at 65-59. Hawks made two late inside shots to snap the drought, but it was too little too late for the Gamecocks.
 
4:37 drought
Hawks layup made it 59-56