FORT MYERS, Fla. – Juwan Perdue finished with 17 points and Marcellus Brigham Jr. collected 11 rebounds, but the Jacksonville State men's basketball team fell short on the road Thursday night at Florida Gulf Coast.
 
The Eagles (14-6, 4-3 ASUN) won their program-best 13th consecutive home victory with the narrow 55-51 win over the Gamecocks (8-12, 1-6 ASUN). Despites JSU's inability to find the bottom of the net offensively, JSU's defense kept it a contest until the final seconds.
 
Brigham Jr.'s  11 rebounds was his first double-digit night on the glass, leading Perdue and Amanze Ngumezi who each had seven boards on a night both squads struggled shooting the ball. Skyelar Potter scored 10 to join Perdue in double figures with one of JSU's only two triples of the night. A weapon for the Gamecocks early this year, the outside shot continues to fades with just 2-for-17 against the Eagles.
 
JSU looked to be heading to the locker room down six after a late three-pointer by FGCU to close the opening half, but Demaree King raced back down the length of the court in the final eight seconds to lead to a dunk by Perdue moments before the horn sounded to pull within 29-25.
 
FGCU made the first bucket of the second half to go back up six, but JSU slowly chipped away at the deficit until the only other three-pointer of the night from Travis Roberts tied the game at 33-33 with 14 minutes remaining. The deadlock would last for nearly three minutes before FGCU moved back in front to begin a 7-0 run that ultimately built the lead JSU couldn't erase in time.
 
Still down six with under two minutes, the Gamecocks got the deficit to three in the final minute. When FGCU split a pair of free throws, JSU looked to have a chance to draw within two or even one late, but a tipped pass became one of JSU's 15 turnovers and ended the last-chance rally.
 
Jax State remains on the road and heads to Stetson for a 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT matchup.