JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State men's basketball team is set to host Carver College at Pete Mathews Coliseum on Sunday at 2 p.m.

The game was scheduled on Dec. 18 - the same day the Gamecocks were supposed to host Georgia Southwestern before the contest was canceled due to COVID-19 testing protocols and out of an abundance of caution. Tickets purchased for the Dec. 18 game against GSW will be honored at the gates Sunday.
 
Jax State (5-2, 2-0 OVC) is 2-0 all-time against Carver College (0-20, 0-0 NCCAA), having hosted the Cougars in each of the past two seasons. Carver, a small Christian college in Atlanta, was recently referred to as "college basketball's equivalent of the Washington Generals," having played 15 games against Division I opponents since the NCAA basketball season began Nov. 25.

The game will broadcast on ESPN+ with Mickey Shadrix (play-by-play) and Gerhard Mathangani (analysis) on the call. 
 
Fans can listen to "The Voice" of the Gamecocks, Mike Parris, on their local Gamecock Radio Network affiliate. In Jacksonville, WLJS can be found at 91.9 FM, 98.1 FM and 102.1 FM, and WVOK in Oxford is located at 97.9 on the FM dial. Fans can also listen to WLJS online and on the TuneIn app. Parris is back behind the mic for his 38th season broadcasting Jacksonville State basketball.
 
Jacksonville State returns to action Wednesday, Dec. 30 at Pete Mathews Coliseum against UT Martin at 7:30 p.m.

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Men's Basketball - Game 8
Jacksonville State (5-2, 2-0 OVC) vs. Carver College (0-20, 0-0 NCCAA)
December 27, 2020 | 2 p.m. CT
Jacksonville, Ala. | Pete Mathews Coliseum (3,500)  

FOLLOW LIVE
Listen: Gamecock Radio Network
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: Click Here
 
GAME NOTES
Jacksonville State Notes
Carver College Game Notes

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Tipoff Tidbits
• Jacksonville State improved to 2-0 in league play to begin a season for the fifth year in a row Dec. 16 with a 74-50 win over Tennessee Tech. The Gamecocks also improved to 20-5 in Division I home openers.
• JSU routed Tennessee Tech by 24 points to sweep the regular-season series for the first time since 2018-19.
• The Gamecocks held the Golden Eagles to 20 first-half points. It was the lowest-scoring half for an opponent since holding Cal State Fullerton to 14 in 2016-17.
• JSU's Dec. 18 game against Georgia Southwestern was canceled the day of due to COVID-19 testing protocols and out of an abundance of caution. It is just the second cancellation of the season for the Gamecocks.
• In two meetings, Jacksonville State has outscored Carver College 221-117 - an average of 52 points.
• Head coach Ray Harper owns 85 wins in five seasons at JSU, ranking third in program history in D1 wins behind former head coach James Green (89, eight seasons).

Series History
• Jacksonville State leads series, 2-0
• At Jacksonville State: JSU leads, 2-0
• At Carver College: NA
• Neutral Sites: NA
• Series Streak: JSU won two
• Last Five Meetings: JSU leads, 2-0
 
A win would…
• Give the Gamecocks a 3-0 lead in the all-time series.
• Improve Ray Harper's record as Jacksonville State's head coach to 86-58, 517-185 overall.
• Give Jax State its second three-game winning streak of the season.
• Hand Carver College its 21st loss in a row and 16th loss to a Division I opponent this season.
• Push JSU's home record to 2-0 this season.

Storylines
• Jacksonville State hasn't played a game since Dec. 16 when it hosted Tennessee Tech for a 74-50 victory.
• JSU saw its second cancellation of the season on Dec. 18 when its game against Georgia Southwestern was called off due to COVID-19 testing protocols and out of an abundance of caution.
• Carver College has been called "college basketball's equivalent of the Washington Generals," having played 15 games against Division I opponents since the NCAA basketball season began Nov. 25.
• Sunday's game against the Cougars is the final nonconference game scheduled for the Gamecocks this season.
• The Gamecocks have won their first two OVC games played in each of the last five seasons - all since Ray Harper's arrival in Jacksonville for the 2016-17 season.

About Carver College
• The Cougars are 0-20 this season and 0-15 against Division I opponents.
• Carver College has yet to play a home game this season, becoming college basketball's go-to team to schedule when a game is canceled due to COVID-19. 
• Forward Paul Hepburn leads the Cougars in rebounds per game (5.0) and blocks per game (0.7), and has led Carver in scoring three times this season.
• Guard Bryson Scott is Carver's top scorer, averaging 8.5 points per contest.
• Bryson Scott, Antwon Ferrell, Stephon Augusta, Keyshawn Coley and Theodore Hanna have each played in all 15 games against Division I opponents this year.

For more information on the JSU men's basketball team, follow the Gamecocks on Twitter (@JSUGamecocksMBB) and Instagram (@JSUGamecocksMBB). For more on all Gamecocks sports teams, follow the official social media accounts of JSU Athletics on Twitter (@JSUGamecocks), Facebook (Facebook.com/JSUGamecocks) and Instagram (@JSUGamecocks).