JACKSONVILLE – Reigning Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Week, Yamia Johnson, led JSU with 16 points on Saturday as the Gamecocks rallied from a double-digit second-half deficit for an important late-season win over Morehead State.
 
The win evened JSU at 13-13 overall, and improved the Gamecocks to 7-8 in league play, while dropping the Eagles (19-9) for just their fifth OVC loss of the year.
 
Three Gamecocks finished in double figures as Rayven Pearson and Taylor Hawks each scored a dozen. Pearson notched her 21st career double-double adding 14 rebounds, and in the process became just the fourth player in program history to surpass 800 career boards.
 
The Eagles jumped out to a 10-6 advantage in the first, but a 10-2 run for JSU over the final three minutes to end the period saw JSU take a 16-12 lead into the second. JSU led until MSU's McKenzie Calvert, who finished with a team-high 16, hit a triple to make it 21-20 for the visitors with 7:52 to play until halftime.
 
JSU trailed 35-29 at the halftime break, and saw that margin extended to 11 at the midway point of the third with MSU on top, 44-33. A layup by Hawks, who posted her team-leading 14th double-digit scoring performance of the season, started the Jax State rally that cut the gap to just one by the start of the fourth.
 
Brianna Perry's three-pointer to open the final quarter gave JSU its first lead since early in the second at 49-47. The lead remained within a score or two for most of the way as MSU went cold from the floor, and the Gamecocks hit crucial free throws down the stretch. After shooting 50-percent (15-30) in the first half, the Eagles were limited to just 10-of-37 shooting in the second half, including an 0-for-10 mark from beyond the arc.
 
The Gamecocks hit 15 of their 20 fourth-quarter free throws to keep MSU at a distance and secure its first back-to-back win in conference play since second and third games of the OVC season in early January.
 
The win pushes JSU into position to grab a spot in the postseason tournament, breaking a three-way tie for seventh. The Gamecocks will have a chance to strengthen their position when Eastern Kentucky visits Pete Mathews Coliseum on Saturday in the final home game of the season.
 
Saturday will mark Senior Day and fans are encouraged to be in their seats early for the 2 p.m. tip-off to be there for a special pregame ceremony honoring JSU's senior duo of Rayven Pearson and Brianna Perry.