MIAMI, Fla. – Junior Taylor Hawks had a game-high 18 points, but the Jacksonville State women's basketball team dropped a tough 61-55 contest to Oakland University on Sunday afternoon in the Ocean Bank Center on the campus of Florida International.
 
Wrapping up its 2019 Thanksgiving Classic time in Miami, the Gamecocks (3-5) were unable to hold a late lead against Oakland (4-3), after fighting to come back most of the game. The afternoon was filled with runs as both sides put together impressive stretches to either pull away or slowly climb back. 

Behind Hawks' 18 points, Kiana Johnson and Destiney Elliott also reached double figures for Jax State, while Chloe Long recorded three blocks on the defensive end. 

Oakland buried back-to-back threes on its first two possessions and quickly built an 11-2 lead in the opening three minutes of the game. The margin was still nine at the media break, but a couple of drives by Hawks brought JSU back within a score before the Grizzlies sank a running floater at the horn to lead 17-11 at the end of the first period.
 
After JSU cut it to three, the Oakland used a 7-0 run into the second to grab its first double-digit lead of the game at 21-11, but the Gamecocks clawed back with a 9-0 stretch of their own to pull within one. A three by Elliott made it 21-18, followed by a pair of free throws from Hawks on the next possession. OU answered with a triple to cut JSU's momentum and pad the lead back to six at halftime, holding JSU to its lowest first-half total of the season with just 24 points.
 
The trend of runs continued in the second half as JSU opened with a 6-0 stretch capped by two free throws by Hawks to even the score at 30. The Grizzlies held failed to relinquish the lead until Johnson's short jumper in the paint pushed JSU in front 39-38 for the first time since JSU lead 2-0 to open the game. OU would retake the lead briefly before Johnson, Long and Day scored big points in the paint to send JSU to the fourth with its largest lead of the day at 45-40.
 
Hawks added another point from the stripe to give JSU a six-point cushion, but the Grizzlies quickly erased the deficit with another big run, this time 11-0 to lead 51-46. Johnson converted an old-fashion three-point play to bring JSU back with two at the under 5:00 media timeout.
 
Hawks brought JSU back with a point one final time at 55-56 on a pair of free throws, but the Grizzlies forced turnovers on JSU's late possessions to hang on to the lead late and secure the 61-55 result.
 
The Gamecocks return home to host Clark-Atlanta University next Sunday, Dec. 8, at Pete Mathews Coliseum .