Women's Hoops Hit The Road for Regular-Season Finales - Jacksonville State University Athletics

CHARLSTON, Ill. – The Jacksonville State women's basketball team takes its winning streak on the road to the Land of Lincoln for the final regular-season weekend at Eastern Illinois and SIU-Edwardsville.

JSU (14-13, 8-8 Ohio Valley Conference) is riding a three-game winning streak that lifts the Gamecocks to above .500 for the first time since January 17 when JSU lost to Belmont. The late season push has seen Jax State win four of five and improve to 8-8 in league play and into a tie for sixth in the OVC standings that remain extremely tight heading into the final weekend.

Weekend action begins on Thursday in a noon tip-off at EIU as part of the Panthers' Kid's Day, before JSU heads west to face Southern Illinois-Edwardsville on Saturday.

The Gamecocks can ensure their spot in next week's eight-team OVC Tournament with a win, and will get their first shot against a squad they beat 78-49 in Jacksonville on Jan. 10. JSU set a new school record with 31 points in a quarter during the third period of the first meetings this season, to roll by the Panthers after a halftime tie.

Overall, EIU leads the all-time series, 13-9, but the Gamecocks are 4-2 in the past six matchups under Rick Pietri. With a 10-17 record, and 4-12 mark in PVC play, EIU has been eliminated from reaching postseason play, and will look to play spoiler in the final two games against JSU and Tennessee Tech who sits tied for second in the standings.

Senior Rayven Pearson makes her 106 th appearance for the Red and White on Thursday, after becoming the fourth Gamecock, and only second in the school's Division I era, to reach 800 career rebounds last week. The Hazel Green, Ala., native ienters averaging a double-double at 10.4 points and 10.1 boards per game. She trails only redshirt-senior Destiney Elliott who's scoring 11 points per game, but dipped to 9.9 in conference games. Sophomore Taylor Hawks has stepped up to lead JSU in scoring since the start of league play, and has 14 double-digit games this year.

Thursday's game will stream on ESPN+ at 12 p.m. Live stats are available at JSUGamecockSports.com.

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Players Mentioned

Destiney Elliott

Taylor Hawks

Rayven Pearson

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