JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State's women's basketball team dropped visiting Murray State to win its Ohio Valley Conference home opener for the third-straight season, the longest such stretch since joining the league 17 years ago.
 
The Gamecocks (6-8, 2-1 OVC) slowed the fourth-best offense in the league down to a 34-percent shooting clip and just 4-of-21 from beyond the perimeter. The Racers (8-6, 1-2 OVC) were held below 55 points for just the third time all season, next to games against top-10 teams Louisville and Mississippi State.
 
Redshirt-senior Chloe Long posted just her second career double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds as JSU won for the ninth time in its last 10 games at Pete Mathews Coliseum. Junior Taylor Hawks led the way offensively with 21 points, while redshirt-junior Jessie Day pulled down a career-best 10 boards.
 
A jumper by Kiana Johnson gave the Gamecocks the early lead in the opening minute, a lead JSU would hold for more than 36 minutes of the contest. Johnson finished with eight points and three assists. After opening with a 6-0 lead, JSU led 15-13 ar the end of the first quarter.
 
MSU grabbed its only lead of the contest early in the second with a 17-15 advantage, but an ensuing 12-0 Gamecock run propelled the Red and White back ahead for good.
 
Jax State led led 31-25 at the half, improving to 5-0 this season when leading at the break, and soon padded its lead to a dozen after a pair of free throws by Day. The margin grew to as many as 14 following a trey from the wing by Jayla Walker with just over eight minutes to play in the final period. MSU would shave the deficit back to single digits in the closing minutes, but JSU converted at the stripe when fouled to hold off any late comeback attempt.
 
Macey Turley led the Racers with 15 points, just ahead of Cekeya Mack with 14.
 
Jax State will host Austin Peay, which fell 58-49 at Tennessee Tech on Thursday, in a 1:45 tip-off at The Pete on Saturday afternoon.