EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Jacksonville State men's basketball team begins play in the Ohio Valley Conference Men's Basketball Championships on Thursday at 7 p.m. with a first-round matchup with Murray State.
The Gamecocks (17-8, 13-6 OVC) are the No. 4 seed in the tournament, while the Racers (13-12, 10-10 OVC) are the No. 5 seed. Jax State is 2-0 against MSU this season, winning the previous two meetings 85-82 and 87-74, respectively.
The game will broadcast on
ESPN+ with Connor Onion (play-by-play) and Bob Belvin (analyst) 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.
Men's Basketball - Game 26
Jacksonville State (17-8, 13-6 OVC) vs. Murray State (13-12, 10-10 OVC)
March 4, 2021 | 7 p.m. CT
Evansville, Ind. | Ford Center (10,000)
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GAME NOTES
Jacksonville State Notes
Murray State Game Notes
HUFFMAN, ADAMS NAMED ALL-OVC
Brandon Huffman and
Darian Adams received All-OVC honors Tuesday afternoon. Adams was deemed First Team All-OVC, and Huffman was named to the All-OVC Second Team and All-Newcomer Team. Adams is just the fourth first team honoree in JSU's OVC era, and Huffman is the first Gamecock to be named both all-conference and all-newcomer.
FIVE CONSECUTIVE #OVCTOURNEY TRIPS
Jacksonville State is set to make its fifth consecutive appearance in the OVC Basketball Championships - tied for its longest streak of Division I postseason appearances and longest streak of OVC Tournament appearances. JSU qualified for the ASUN Tournament and OVC Tournament from 2000 to 2004 with the 2003-04 season representing its first season in the OVC. The Gamecocks made the tournament field just three seasons from 2006 to 2016 before beginning their current run with a first-time tourney championship in 2017.
RECORD VS. #OVCTOURNEY COMPETITION
Jacksonville State is 7-7 all-time in OVC Tournament games against nine different opponents. While the Gamecocks are 0-3 against Morehead State, 0-3 against Murray State and 0-1 against Eastern Illinois, they are a perfect 7-0 against their six other opponents: Austin Peay (1-0), Belmont (1-0), Eastern Kentucky (1-0), Southeast Missouri (1-0), Tennessee Tech (1-0) and UT Martin (2-0).
ADAMS IS NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK FOR THIRD TIME THIS SEASON
Senior guard
Darian Adams was voted the Ohio Valley Conference's Newcomer of the Week for the third time this season on March 1. Adams averaged 21.0 points per game, 5.0 rebounds per game and shot .615 from beyond the arc. His week was highlighted by a 30-point performance against Murray State Feb. 25.
GAMECOCKS SWEEP AUSTIN PEAY FOR FIRST TIME IN PROGRAM HISTORY
Jacksonville State's 75-67 win over Austin Peay completed the regular-season sweep over the Govs for the first time in school history. It also completed the first regular-season sweep of both Austin Peay and Murray State in the same season.
ADAMS SCORES 30 VS. MURRAY STATE
Darian Adams scored a new career-high Feb. 25 with 30 points vs. Murray State on Feb. 25. The Montgomery, Ala., native was 9-for-15 from the field and hit seven 3-pointers. He was a perfect 5-for-5 from the free-throw line. He is the first Gamecock to net 30 points since
Jason Burnell scored 30 against the Racers at the 2019 OVC Basketball Championships.
ADAMS DANGEROUS FROM 3-POINT RANGE
Darian Adams is one of the most dangerous 3-point shooters in the nation. The senior ranks 56th in the NCAA and fifth in the OVC with 56 3-pointers made and 63rd in the nation and fourth in the league with 149 3-point attempts.
THIRD-MOST WINS IN THE STATE
Jax State's 17 wins rank third in the state of Alabama behind just UAB (19) and Alabama (20).
FINCH WITH THE ASSIST
Jalen Finch ranks third in the OVC and 19th in the NCAA with 122 total assists. His 4.9 assists per game are good for third in the conference and 56th in the nation.
SWEEPING MURRAY STATE
Jax State's 87-74 win over Murray State on Feb. 25 completed the regular-season sweep of the Racers for the first time in program history. Earlier this season, the Gamecocks won their first road game at Murray State, winning 85-82 at the CSFB Center on Jan. 21.
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).
