MOREHEAD, Ky. – Jacksonville State's Saturday afternoon contest at Morehead State came down to one final shot, but the last-second attempt caromed off the iron and fell to the floor as time expired, resulting in a 56-55 loss for the Gamecocks.
 
With Jax State (7-4, 3-2 OVC) trailing by one with less than 10 seconds to play, Morehead State's KJ Hunt threw up a shot to avoid a shot-clock violation and Juwan Perdue grabbed the defensive board. On the other end of the court, Darian Adams eluded coverage and got the ball on the bench-side wing for an open 3-point shot. The attempt hit the inside iron but ricocheted out after time expired.
 
"We have to get back to Jacksonville and keep getting better," Head Coach Ray Harper said. "We have to play hard for 40 minutes every time out, and we have three days to get ready for a talented Tennessee State team."
 
Despite shooting just 33.3 percent (19-for-57) for the game, Jacksonville State was able to make it a one-point game from the free-throw line. Both the Gamecocks and Eagles (7-6, 4-2 OVC) put up 57 shots, but JSU was 11-for-16 from the charity stripe while MSU hit just three freebies on seven trips to the line.
 
Brandon Huffman registered his second double-double in as many games with 13 points and 10 rebounds. The senior was 4-for-9 from the field for eight points, while his other five scores came from the free-throw line with a 5-for-8 mark. He is the first Gamecock to score multiple double-doubles this season.
 
Point guard Jalen Finch tied Huffman for the team lead in scoring, going 4-for-9. The junior was 3-for-4 from beyond the arc and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line.
 
After trailing by as many as 10 points in the first half, Jax State went on a 12-5 run to narrow the Eagle lead to three at halftime, 29-26. During the stretch, Huffman scored eight points on three baskets and a pair of free throws.
 
The final five minutes of the game mirrored the last five minutes of the first half, seeing the Gamecocks down 10 with in crunch time. Trailing 54-44, Finch took his turn in leading JSU to a big run, 11-2, with five points of his own. A pair of free throws by Hunt and a bucket by Johni Broome were the only points the Jacksonville State defense allowed Morehead State through the last six minutes of the game.
 
Broome finished as the Eagles' leading scorer with 14 points, going 7-for-11, and 12 rebounds for the double-double. Devon Cooper also finished in double digits with 11 points.
 
The Gamecocks return home next week for a pair of games at Pete Mathews Coliseum. Jax State hosts Tennessee State on Thursday, Jan. 14 at 7:30 p.m., and Belmont is scheduled to visit Jacksonville on Saturday, Jan. 16 at 4 p.m.
 
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).