JACKSONVILLE – A tough fourth-quarter was too much for Jacksonville State's women's basketball team to overcome, falling to Morehead State, 69-55, on Saturday at Pete Mathews Coliseum.
 
The Gamecocks (8-11, 4-4 Ohio Valley Conference) led MSU (8-12, 4-4 OVC) for more than 25 minutes before the Eagles stormed back late in the final quarter to grab the win. JSU was outscored in the paint 46-18 in what became its second loss to the Eagles this season after falling in the league opener on the road earlier this month.
 
Junior Taylor Hawks did her best to keep Jax State on pace with MSU scoring a team-high 17. Following her career-best scoring game on Thursday, Destiney Elliott finished just shy of double figures with nine points as eight Gamecocks overall scored three-or-more. On the glass, Chloe Long and Jessie Day combined for 14 of JSU's 35 boards with seven each.
 
Redshirt-junior McKenna Lawrence opened JSU's scoring with the first basket of the game. The two sides exchanged the lead back-and-forth throughout the opening stanza. With MSU ahead by three in the closing seconds, a trey by Hawks just before the horn sounded sent the game into the second period tied at 18.
 
JSU would make it a 10-0 run from there with Yamia Johnson drilling consecutive buckets to open the second, before Kiana Johnson hit a three to make it 25-18 with just over seven minute to play in the quarter. Another triple later on by Elliott would hand JSU its largest lead of the afternoon at nine.
 
The margin was down to six at halftime with the Gamecocks on top 33-27. In the third, MSU worked the deficit down to two at 35-33, but JSU held its advantage with baskets from Day, Long and Hawks. A jumper by Lawrence from just inside the charity stripe made it 46-39 with 2:48 to play in the third. From there, JSU began to hit a rough patch as Nekiyah Thompson was only able to add a pair of free throws the rest of the period.
 
Leading 48-45 to begin the final quarter, the dry spell unfortunately continued for JSU who finished just 1-for-13 from the field. Free throws a few seconds into the fourth brought MSU within one, and a jumper not long after gave the visitors their first lead since the opening period. The Eagles surged on with a 19-2 stretch to begin the quarter and put JSU away late. The Gamecocks were limited to seven fourth-quarter points on its way to its first setback in three games.
 
JSU remains at home next weekend to face Tennessee State and Belmont.