Wednesday, December 30
JACKSONVILLE
7:30 p.m.
Jax State
vs
UT Martin
12/29/2020 3:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State men's basketball team returns to Ohio Valley Conference play Wednesday night when it hosts UT Martin at 7:30 p.m. at Pete Mathews Coliseum.Â
The Gamecocks (6-2, 2-0 OVC) are looking to improve to 3-0 to begin league play for the first time since the 2018-19 season. They face a Skyhawk team that has played just five games this season due to three contests being postponed/canceled because of COVID-19 protocols.
The game will broadcast on ESPN+ with Chase Robinson (play-by-play) and Gerhard Mathangani (analysis) on the call.Â
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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.
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Jacksonville State goes on the road following the game, traveling to Edwardsville, Ill., for a Saturday, Jan. 2 matchup at SIUE. Tipoff against the Cougars is scheduled for 5 p.m. It kicks off a three-game road stint for the Gamecocks.
Men's Basketball - Game 9
Jacksonville State (6-2, 2-0 OVC) vs. UT Martin (3-2, 1-0 OVC)
December 30, 2020 | 7:30 p.m. CT
Jacksonville, Ala. | Pete Mathews Coliseum (3,500)Â Â
FOLLOW LIVE
Listen: Gamecock Radio Network
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats:Â Click Here
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GAME NOTES
Jacksonville State Notes
UT Martin Game Notes
OVC Notes
Tipoff Tidbits
• Head coach Ray Harper owns 86 wins in five seasons at JSU, ranking third in program history in D1 wins behind former head coach James Green (89, eight seasons).
• 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 recorded its third-best margin of victory over an opponent of its Division I era with a 104-45 win over Carver College on Sunday (59 points).
• Darian Adams (21) and Semaj Henderson (15) each tallied career-highs in points scored against Carver.
• The Gamecocks lead the Ohio Valley Conference in fouls per game (15.0), scoring defense (63.2), 3-point field goal defense (28.5), 3-pointers per game (9.5) and total 3-pointers made (76).
• 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.
Series History
• Jacksonville State leads series, 44-24
• At Jacksonville State: JSU leads, 25-8
• At UT Martin: JSU leads, 17-16
• Neutral Sites: JSU leads, 2-0
• Series Streak: JSU won three
A win would…
• Give the Gamecocks their first 3-0 start to OVC play since 2018-19.
• Improve Ray Harper's record as Jacksonville State's head coach to 87-58, 518-185 overall.
• Give Jax State its first four-game winning streak of the season.
• Improve Ray Harper's all-time record vs. the Skyhawks to 6-2.
• Push JSU's home record to 3-0 this season.
Storylines
• The Gamecocks routed Carver College 104-45 on Dec. 27 at Pete Mathews Coliseum. The 59-point victory was the fifth-largest margin of victory in the program's history and the third-largest since joining the Division I ranks.
• Jax State's offense put up a number of season-high stats in its win over Carver College on Dec. 27 at Pete Mathews Coliseum. The Gamecocks scored 104 points, made 39 field goals, hit .574 percent of shots taken, hit 15 3-pointers, made .417 percent of 3-pointers taken and dished out 24 assists. The 104-point outing was the first time JSU reached the single-game century mark since Dec. 26, 2019 against Carver College at Pete Mathews Coliseum.
• Senior Darian Adams and freshman Semaj Henderson each scored career-high points against Carver College on Dec. 27. Adams scored 21 points on 7-for-10 shooting - all from beyond the arc. Henderson was 6-for-7 with a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws.
• The Gamecock defense allowed Carver College just 45 points on Dec. 27, making the Cougars the first team to score less than 50 points in a game since holding Tennessee Wesleyan to 42 points on Nov. 10, 2017. Carver attempted just 54 shots, five free-throw attempts and made only three 3-pointers. JSU also forced a season-high 23 turnovers.
• Jacksonville State features the league's top scoring defense and the 55th-best defense in the NCAA, allowing an average of just 63.2 points per game. JSU has also allowing an OVC-low 28.5 points per game on 3-point attempts, ranking 60th in the nation.
• The Gamecocks lead the OVC in 3-point field goals made this season with 76 and 3-pointers per game at an average of 9.5 per contest. JSU ranks 37th and 44th, respectively, in those categories. Darian Adams has nailed 23 treys this year, putting him second in the OVC and 38th in the NCAA rankings.
About UT Martin
• UT Martin head coach Anthony Stewart passed unexpectedly Nov. 15, 2020 - just 10 days before the start of the college basketball season. Stewart was 50 years old and was set to begin his fifth season as the Skyhawks' head coach. In memory of Coach Stewart, UT Martin will leave an empty suit jacket on the first seat of the bench at all games and will have a decal on the floor at home games this season. Jacksonville State will observe a moment of silence prior to the announcement of the starting lineups.
• The Skyhawks have played just five games this season, having three contests postponed/canceled due to COVID-19 protocols.Â
• UT Martin was 3-0 to start a season for the first time since the 1989-90 campaign, three years before it joined the NCAA Division I ranks. The Skyhawks were one of the final 33 Division I teams to stay unbeaten before a Dec. 20 loss to Western Illinois.
• The Skyhawks will be back in action for the first time in eight days, as UT Martin ended nonconference play with a tough 90-43 setback at Ole Miss on Dec. 22.
• Eden Holt dribbled coast-to-coast before knocking down a 15-foot pull-up jumper with 0.2 seconds left for the game-winning bucket at OVC rival Southeast Missouri. The junior forward currently ranks in the top-10 in the OVC in four different categories: free throw percentage (.810, sixth); rebounding (6.6 per game, seventh); scoring (15.8 points per game, eighth) and steals (1.6 per game, 10th).
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).
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The Gamecocks (6-2, 2-0 OVC) are looking to improve to 3-0 to begin league play for the first time since the 2018-19 season. They face a Skyhawk team that has played just five games this season due to three contests being postponed/canceled because of COVID-19 protocols.
The game will broadcast on ESPN+ with Chase Robinson (play-by-play) and Gerhard Mathangani (analysis) on the call.Â
Â
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.
Â
Jacksonville State goes on the road following the game, traveling to Edwardsville, Ill., for a Saturday, Jan. 2 matchup at SIUE. Tipoff against the Cougars is scheduled for 5 p.m. It kicks off a three-game road stint for the Gamecocks.
Men's Basketball - Game 9
Jacksonville State (6-2, 2-0 OVC) vs. UT Martin (3-2, 1-0 OVC)
December 30, 2020 | 7:30 p.m. CT
Jacksonville, Ala. | Pete Mathews Coliseum (3,500)Â Â
FOLLOW LIVE
Listen: Gamecock Radio Network
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats:Â Click Here
Â
GAME NOTES
Jacksonville State Notes
UT Martin Game Notes
OVC Notes
Tipoff Tidbits
• Head coach Ray Harper owns 86 wins in five seasons at JSU, ranking third in program history in D1 wins behind former head coach James Green (89, eight seasons).
• 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 recorded its third-best margin of victory over an opponent of its Division I era with a 104-45 win over Carver College on Sunday (59 points).
• Darian Adams (21) and Semaj Henderson (15) each tallied career-highs in points scored against Carver.
• The Gamecocks lead the Ohio Valley Conference in fouls per game (15.0), scoring defense (63.2), 3-point field goal defense (28.5), 3-pointers per game (9.5) and total 3-pointers made (76).
• 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.
Series History
• Jacksonville State leads series, 44-24
• At Jacksonville State: JSU leads, 25-8
• At UT Martin: JSU leads, 17-16
• Neutral Sites: JSU leads, 2-0
• Series Streak: JSU won three
A win would…
• Give the Gamecocks their first 3-0 start to OVC play since 2018-19.
• Improve Ray Harper's record as Jacksonville State's head coach to 87-58, 518-185 overall.
• Give Jax State its first four-game winning streak of the season.
• Improve Ray Harper's all-time record vs. the Skyhawks to 6-2.
• Push JSU's home record to 3-0 this season.
Storylines
• The Gamecocks routed Carver College 104-45 on Dec. 27 at Pete Mathews Coliseum. The 59-point victory was the fifth-largest margin of victory in the program's history and the third-largest since joining the Division I ranks.
• Jax State's offense put up a number of season-high stats in its win over Carver College on Dec. 27 at Pete Mathews Coliseum. The Gamecocks scored 104 points, made 39 field goals, hit .574 percent of shots taken, hit 15 3-pointers, made .417 percent of 3-pointers taken and dished out 24 assists. The 104-point outing was the first time JSU reached the single-game century mark since Dec. 26, 2019 against Carver College at Pete Mathews Coliseum.
• Senior Darian Adams and freshman Semaj Henderson each scored career-high points against Carver College on Dec. 27. Adams scored 21 points on 7-for-10 shooting - all from beyond the arc. Henderson was 6-for-7 with a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws.
• The Gamecock defense allowed Carver College just 45 points on Dec. 27, making the Cougars the first team to score less than 50 points in a game since holding Tennessee Wesleyan to 42 points on Nov. 10, 2017. Carver attempted just 54 shots, five free-throw attempts and made only three 3-pointers. JSU also forced a season-high 23 turnovers.
• Jacksonville State features the league's top scoring defense and the 55th-best defense in the NCAA, allowing an average of just 63.2 points per game. JSU has also allowing an OVC-low 28.5 points per game on 3-point attempts, ranking 60th in the nation.
• The Gamecocks lead the OVC in 3-point field goals made this season with 76 and 3-pointers per game at an average of 9.5 per contest. JSU ranks 37th and 44th, respectively, in those categories. Darian Adams has nailed 23 treys this year, putting him second in the OVC and 38th in the NCAA rankings.
About UT Martin
• UT Martin head coach Anthony Stewart passed unexpectedly Nov. 15, 2020 - just 10 days before the start of the college basketball season. Stewart was 50 years old and was set to begin his fifth season as the Skyhawks' head coach. In memory of Coach Stewart, UT Martin will leave an empty suit jacket on the first seat of the bench at all games and will have a decal on the floor at home games this season. Jacksonville State will observe a moment of silence prior to the announcement of the starting lineups.
• The Skyhawks have played just five games this season, having three contests postponed/canceled due to COVID-19 protocols.Â
• UT Martin was 3-0 to start a season for the first time since the 1989-90 campaign, three years before it joined the NCAA Division I ranks. The Skyhawks were one of the final 33 Division I teams to stay unbeaten before a Dec. 20 loss to Western Illinois.
• The Skyhawks will be back in action for the first time in eight days, as UT Martin ended nonconference play with a tough 90-43 setback at Ole Miss on Dec. 22.
• Eden Holt dribbled coast-to-coast before knocking down a 15-foot pull-up jumper with 0.2 seconds left for the game-winning bucket at OVC rival Southeast Missouri. The junior forward currently ranks in the top-10 in the OVC in four different categories: free throw percentage (.810, sixth); rebounding (6.6 per game, seventh); scoring (15.8 points per game, eighth) and steals (1.6 per game, 10th).
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).
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Players Mentioned
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