COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Jacksonville State men's basketball team fell in the closing seconds to Tennessee Tech on Thursday, dropping a tight 75-74 decision at the Hooper Eblen Center.
 
Despite tying his career-high of 26 points, sophomore De'Torrion Ware's big night was not enough to lift the Gamecocks (10-16, 5-8 OVC) over the Golden Eagles (7-19, 4-9 OVC) in the first of two road contests this weekend.
 
Jax State led 74-72 after TTU's Hunter Vick hit a layup with 22 seconds left in the game, but the Gamecocks' 20th turnover of the night put the ball back in the home team's hands just moments later.
 
With seven seconds remaining, Tennessee Tech's Cade Crossland hit his seventh 3-pointer of the night to put TTU ahead 75-74. Jacksonville State got the ball down the court on the ensuing inbound and fed to Ware on the right wing, but contact from an Eagle defender made the shot fall short as time expired.
 
"We got the ball, up by two, with two timeouts, but we got in a hurry, got a walk and they banged a three right there," head coach Ray Harper said. "Unfortunately, that was the last play of the night.
 
"That was one of our problems tonight. Too many turnovers, and we weren't good defensively. We didn't keep the ball in front of us tonight and got beat off the bounce."
 
Jacksonville State outscored Tennessee Tech by two in the second half, 34-32, after trailing 43-40 at the break. Ware tallied 20 of his 26 points in the second period, going 8-for-11 from the field with three 3-pointers. He tied his career-high from Dec. 28 when he put up another 26 points against Carver College. Thursday's 20-point performance was his third of the season and fifth in his career.
 
Redshirt-freshman Cam Jones also had a career night after getting his first starting nod. The point guard scored nine points in his starting-five debut, tying his career mark from Nov. 12 against Brescia. All nine points came on 3-for-3 shooting from long range.
 
"I thought Cam played his tail off tonight," Harper said. "He gave us some quality minutes in the most he has played all season. He was really good tonight."
 
Senior forward Jacara Cross totaled 16 points, banging around for a 5-for-8 night in the paint. It was the Atlanta native's 15th double-digit scoring effort of the year, and he was just one board shy of a double-double.
 
Junior Kayne Henry rounded out the double-figure scorers with 11 points. The reigning Ohio Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week scored six of the Gamecocks' first eight points and finished the first period with nine total. He was 4-for-9 on the night with three made free throws.
 
The Gamecocks wrap up their visit to the Volunteer State on Saturday with a 5 p.m. contest in Nashville at Belmont. Jax State is set to return home Feb. 20 to take on Southeast Missouri.
 
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