CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – A low-scoring third period and a tough shooting night for the Gamecocks led to a 47-43 defeat in Thursday's ASUN Conference road game at Austin Peay. Jax State was outscored 14-6 in the third quarter and shot just 25.4% at the Winfield Dunn Center in their second league defeat of the season.
 
Despite the tough second half, Jacksonville State (9-6, 2-2) held a slim lead at the break. Austin Peay (8-6, 3-1) jumped in front 8-2 before a 6-0 run by the Gamecocks tied it. The two sides traded blows throughout the second interval, but a late three from Imari Martin lifted JSU to its first lead of the game. That 21-19 advantage was the score as the Governors and Gamecocks headed to the locker room at Winfield Dunn Center.
 
As fate would have it, the shots would simply not fall for Jax State in the third period. Austin Peay, who ran a man-to-man defense in the first 20 minutes, switched to a zone look and had success in limited JSU's scoring opportunities. Rick Pietri's team utilized a zone defense as well for the first time in recent memory, but the Governors' 14 points handed them a near-double-digit lead entering the final stanza. Although Jacksonville State rallied and eventually took the lead in the final minutes on an and-one from Shawnta Shaw, Austin Peay ended the game on a 5-0 run and secured the 47-43 victory.
 
Kennedy Gavin finished with a team-high nine points and 11 rebounds, while NeKiyah Thompson ended up with eight points, two assists, and two rebounds. Martin added six points and two boards and Keiara Griffin had five points and 10 rebounds.
 
Jacksonville State shot 15-of-59 from the field and hit six of their 25 three-point attempts. The Gamecocks out-rebounded a taller Governors squad 47-36, but were outscored in the paint 32-16 and 15-4 off turnovers.
 
Austin Peay's Shamarre Hale, a 6-foot-1 center, had a career-high 20 points and 10 rebounds in the win. Former Gamecock Yamia Johnson, who is now APSU's leading scorer, went 0-for-6 from the field and had seven rebounds.
 
Pietri's squad heads south from Clarksville for a Saturday matinee at Lipscomb. That ASUN test at Allen Arena will tip-off at 1:30 p.m. The game in Nashville will be broadcast on ESPN+ and the Gamecock Sports Network.
 
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