EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In the program's final Ohio Valley Conference tournament game, junior Yamia Johnson tied a school record with 25 points, but it wasn't enough as the Gamecocks fell to Tennessee Tech, 79-64, on Thursday in the first round.
 
Johnson's game-high 25 points tied Freddricka Embry's school record for most points in a single OVC tournament game, which Embry did against Eastern Kentucky in JSU's OVC debut appearance in 2004.
 
Thursday's season-ending loss to the Golden Eagles (15-9, 12-8 OVC) came as JSU (15-9, 12-7 OVC) allowed the most points in a game all season. Tech overcame the league's top scoring defense to shoot 56-percent from the field overall, but started even better jumping out to a lead the Gamecocks were never able to overcome.
 
A slow start for JSU shooting just 2-for-12 in the first quarter was made worse as TTU put up 23 in the first to quickly grab a double-digit lead. The Golden Eagles stayed hot in the second to lead by as many as 21, 40-19,  with just over three minutes remaining before halftime. A jumper from Taylor Hawks, who finished with 11 points, started a 6-0 run for JSU, which eventually turned into a 12-4 stretch to end the first half for JSU.
 
Tech's 62-percent first-half shooting gave TTU a 44-31 advantage at intermission.
 
Trailing 54-39 midway through the third, Johnson buried two of her four total three-pointers to lead a 10-2 Gamecock run that pulled JSU with seven. The margin remained at eight heading into the final period, but TTU answered JSU basket-for-basket in the opening three minutes to slowly stall JSU's rally effort.
 
As time ran down the Gamecocks were forced to go fast and take what they could get in a final attempt to come back, leading to open opportunities for Tech to extend the lead to the final 79-64 decision.
 
In her first conference tournament game, freshman Keiara Griffin joined Johnson and Hawks in double figures with 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds.