JACKSONVILLE – Exactly one month after the first meeting of the season, Jacksonville State and Jacksonville met again in the semifinal of the ASUN Conference tournament, where the Gamecocks dropped a physical battle, 54-51.
 
JSU (21-10) score just 64 points in the win over the Dolphins (21-9) at Pete Mathews Coliseum on Feb. 5 for the lowest output by the Gamecocks in a win this season. On Saturday, it was even less as a stingy JU defense caused JSU to shoot just 39 percent from the floor.
 
A season of firsts for Jax State doesn't come to an end with the setback as would normally be the case. JU now advances to meet Bellarmine in the ASUN championship on Tuesday night in Louisville, Kentucky. If the host Knights win, JSU would still punch its ticket to the Big Dance by virtue of Bellarmine's ineligibility due to its ongoing transition from Division II to Division I. If the Dolphins pull out another road win, JSU will pick up its first-ever NIT bid, which was guaranteed with the regular-season crown.   
 
JSU's 51 points on a tough night were the lowest in a game this season, just better than 52 scored at VCU in early December. Senior Darian Adams reached double figures late to finish with 10 points, but Kayne Henry led offensively with 14 points. Coming off his best game of the season, junior Maros Zeliznak added four points to go with his team-best seven rebounds.
 
The Dolphins led more than half the game after a fast start. JU led by as many as eight midway through the first half, but JSU managed to cut it to five, 23-18, by the intermission. The Gamecocks raced out to an 8-0 start to begin the second half, but JU regrouped and slowly fought back until tying the game at 41 with just over six minutes remaining.
 
With JU up one with just over a minute to play, Anniston, Ala., product Kevion Nolan hit a three to make it a four-point contest. After the teams exchanged buckets and free throws, JSU trailed by three with 17 second to play when they forced a turnover on the JU inbounds to regain possession. Henry's basket shortly after made it a one-point game at 52-51 with eight seconds left, but the Dolphins tacked on a pair of free throws to go up three in the final seconds. JSU had a late look, but was unable to get a clean shot off.