JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State women's basketball team cruised past visiting Tennessee State on Thursday night, 70-41, to cement a historic start to 2020-21.
 
The Gamecocks (7-2, 4-1 Ohio Valley Conference) are still yet to lose on their home floor this season (5-0), but the win over TSU also handed Jax State its best start to a season since the program moved to Division I in 1995. The last Gamecock squad with a better mark through nine games was the 1990-91 team that began 8-1 on its way to a 26-4 overall record en route to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.
 
Thursday's eudemonic win over the Lady Tigers (0-8, 0-6 OVC) was sparked by a couple of standout performances from upperclassmen. Senior Junior Yamia Johnson exploded for a season-high 29 points to finish just three shy of her career mark. The Lexington, S.C., native, sank eight three-points and pulled in 10 rebounds for her first double-double game. Meanwhile senior Jessie Day hit her first first five shots of the game, including 4-of-4 from downtown for a new career-high 15 points while fellow senior Kiana Johnson also reached double figures for the third-straight game with 12.
 
Yamia paced JSU early with 12 first-quarter points as JSU led 24-14 after the opening stanza. The margin only grew in the second as JSU began to pull away from the overmatched Lady Tigers for a 41-24 halftime score.
 
If the opening half wasn't enough, the Gamecocks shot 73-percent in the third and had the contest all but wrapped up enetering the fourth with a 61-36 lead. The Gamecocks played with some altered lineups throughout the night giving different players an opportunity.
 
Junior newcomer Kennedy Gavin increased her season-high to six points along with nine rebounds and Jacksonville native Kyra Williams played nine minutes against TSU.
 
Going back to last season, JSU has now won six-straight home games and their overall five-game winning streak is the longest stretch in four years. JSU will not play on Saturday after the contest with Belmont had to be postponed dur to Covid-19 protocols. The Gamecocks' next game will come on Jan. 21 at Murray State.