ST. GEORGE, Utah – Kristol Ayson had a strong 19-point, nine-rebound performance in Jacksonville State's road loss at Utah Tech on Thursday night. The junior from Tacoma, Wash., shined at Burns Arena but it was not enough in the 73-58 defeat.
 
"They're a very skilled offensive team and we knew that coming in," head coach Rick Pietri said. "Only four of our 12 players that went up against them last year are on the team this year. We've got a bunch of new folks out there and they all haven't figured out what they're supposed to be doing. When they make a mistake, it's brutal because the other team makes us pay for it."
 
A pair of threes by Ayson and Samiya Steele helped Jacksonville State to an early lead at Burns Arena. Their efforts, along with five other made shots from the field, guided the Gamecocks to as much as a ten-point lead and a 20-15 difference at the end of one. Not to be outdone, Utah Tech bounced back in a big way in the second period. Following an injury to starting forward Emily Isaacson, the Trailblazers began knocking down shots consistently, leading to a 16-1 scoring run to end the half. That spurt capped off a 29-10 second and built a 44-30 advantage at the break for UTU. 
 
The second half started promisingly for the visitors from Calhoun County. Jax State made a few big shots to cut the deficit to eight before Utah Tech got back in-system offensively. A strong finish from the Trailblazers made it an 18-point game through three. The final stanza saw a back-and-forth battle, but the Gamecocks could not make it closer than a 10-point game and eventually fell, 73-58.
 
Ayson had team-bests or tied for the most on the squad in points, rebounds, blocks, and assists. Brooklyn McDaniel added nine points, nine rebounds, and three assists and Samiya Steele finished with eight points. Keiara Griffin totaled eight rebounds to go along with her three points. 
 
"(Ayson) is one of the newcomers I'm learning I can count on," Pietri said. "She still hasn't figured it all out yet, but her effort is great and she's playing well. As a newcomer she's one of the ones delivering for us right now and we just need more."
 
The Gamecocks travel to Starkville, Miss., on Sunday afternoon for their second Southeastern Conference test of the week at Mississippi State. Tip-off of that non-conference affair is set for 2 p.m. It will be broadcast on SEC Network+ and the Gamecock Sports Network.
 
Links to watch, listen to, or follow along with live stats for that game will be provided at JaxStateSports.com. In addition, score updates will be posted on Jax State Women's Basketball's X account (@JaxStateWBB).  
 
To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, follow their Facebook (Jacksonville State Women's Basketball), Instagram (@JaxStateWBB), and X (@JaxStateWBB) accounts.