Tuesday, December 19
JACKSONVILLE
6:30 P.M.
Jacksonville State University
vs
UT Arlington
Women's Hoops Ends Pre-Christmas Slate Versus UT Arlington
12/18/2023 11:53:00 AM | Women's Basketball
JACKSONVILLE – Following a massive home win on Sunday afternoon, Gamecock women's basketball returns to action on Tuesday night with its final contest before Christmas. Jacksonville State will welcome UT Arlington to Pete Mathews Coliseum for a non-conference showdown starting at 6:30 p.m.
"The biggest challenge is the quick turnaround," head coach Rick Pietri said after Sunday's win. "We only have a one-day prep, so we need to get some rest and get all the work done in one day. This is a competent group that was in the NCAA Tournament a couple years ago, so we can't assume anything. We have work to do before we head home for the holidays."
Jax State (4-6) remained perfect at home on the young season with an 84-72 victory over visiting Coastal Carolina on Sunday. The Gamecocks trailed by seven after one period of play, but a 29-point second period put them in front for good. Though an experienced Chanticleers bunch tried to make things interesting at times in the second half, impressive efforts rebounding and shooting helped the Red-and-White clinch a big triumph at The Pete.
Senior forward Madison McCoy scored a career-high 13 points in the win while Keiara Griffin and Elsie Harris totaled 12 points each against CCU. After struggling to convert shots late last Monday at the College of Charleston, the Gamecocks finished 29-of-57 (50.9%) from the field and 7-of-16 (43.8%) from deep in that 12-point win.
A nine-point outing by Kristol Ayson keeps the Tacoma, Wash., native atop the team in scoring (9.1 points per game), and Griffin, a four-year starter at forward, leads the squad in rebounds (52). Junior Bre'Anna Rhodes is second in points per game (8.1) and rebounds (51). Pietri and company will look for one more big outing by those contributors on Tuesday as Jacksonville State looks for a positive result in its first ever meeting with UT Arlington (2-8).
The Lady Mavericks have faced stout competition to open its 2023-24 campaign. They started out with five straight losses, including a 110-64 setback at No. 11 Texas, before upending North Carolina A&T, 87-76, in the Saint Mary's Thanksgiving Classic. Following missed opportunities against Abilene Christian, Grand Canyon, and No. 8 Colorado, UTA rebounded on Saturday at Sam Houston with a 76-65 triumph to tally their second win of the season.
Fourth-year head coach Shereka Wright guided UT Arlington to a 20-win season, a Sun Belt Conference title, and a trip to the NCAA Tournament just two years ago and has complied another capable team in the Lone Star State. The Lady Mavs have a three-headed offensive attack as guards Gia Adams and Taliyah Clark and forward Avery Brittingham are each averaging 12 points per game through the first ten contests. They have solid size as well, averaging just over 34 rebounds per game as a team.
In addition, their team has Jax State ties. Former Gamecock Masengo Mutanda, who scored five points per game in Calhoun County last year, has appeared in eight matchups in her first season at UTA.
Tuesday's game is part of the CUSA-WAC Scheduling Initiative. It will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Mickey Shadrix and Chase Robinson on the call, and Logan Maddox will handle the Gamecock Sports Network broadcast. Links to listen, watch, or follow along with live stats will be provided at JaxStateSports.com. In addition, score updates and highlights 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.
"The biggest challenge is the quick turnaround," head coach Rick Pietri said after Sunday's win. "We only have a one-day prep, so we need to get some rest and get all the work done in one day. This is a competent group that was in the NCAA Tournament a couple years ago, so we can't assume anything. We have work to do before we head home for the holidays."
Jax State (4-6) remained perfect at home on the young season with an 84-72 victory over visiting Coastal Carolina on Sunday. The Gamecocks trailed by seven after one period of play, but a 29-point second period put them in front for good. Though an experienced Chanticleers bunch tried to make things interesting at times in the second half, impressive efforts rebounding and shooting helped the Red-and-White clinch a big triumph at The Pete.
Senior forward Madison McCoy scored a career-high 13 points in the win while Keiara Griffin and Elsie Harris totaled 12 points each against CCU. After struggling to convert shots late last Monday at the College of Charleston, the Gamecocks finished 29-of-57 (50.9%) from the field and 7-of-16 (43.8%) from deep in that 12-point win.
A nine-point outing by Kristol Ayson keeps the Tacoma, Wash., native atop the team in scoring (9.1 points per game), and Griffin, a four-year starter at forward, leads the squad in rebounds (52). Junior Bre'Anna Rhodes is second in points per game (8.1) and rebounds (51). Pietri and company will look for one more big outing by those contributors on Tuesday as Jacksonville State looks for a positive result in its first ever meeting with UT Arlington (2-8).
The Lady Mavericks have faced stout competition to open its 2023-24 campaign. They started out with five straight losses, including a 110-64 setback at No. 11 Texas, before upending North Carolina A&T, 87-76, in the Saint Mary's Thanksgiving Classic. Following missed opportunities against Abilene Christian, Grand Canyon, and No. 8 Colorado, UTA rebounded on Saturday at Sam Houston with a 76-65 triumph to tally their second win of the season.
Fourth-year head coach Shereka Wright guided UT Arlington to a 20-win season, a Sun Belt Conference title, and a trip to the NCAA Tournament just two years ago and has complied another capable team in the Lone Star State. The Lady Mavs have a three-headed offensive attack as guards Gia Adams and Taliyah Clark and forward Avery Brittingham are each averaging 12 points per game through the first ten contests. They have solid size as well, averaging just over 34 rebounds per game as a team.
In addition, their team has Jax State ties. Former Gamecock Masengo Mutanda, who scored five points per game in Calhoun County last year, has appeared in eight matchups in her first season at UTA.
Tuesday's game is part of the CUSA-WAC Scheduling Initiative. It will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Mickey Shadrix and Chase Robinson on the call, and Logan Maddox will handle the Gamecock Sports Network broadcast. Links to listen, watch, or follow along with live stats will be provided at JaxStateSports.com. In addition, score updates and highlights 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.
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
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