JACKSONVILLE – Following an impressive week at Pete Mathews Coliseum, Jacksonville State women's basketball hits the road again this Thursday and Saturday for a pair of challenging ASUN Conference showdowns. The Gamecocks head to second-place Liberty for a Thursday bout at 6 p.m. CT, then travel to Charlotte, N.C., to play Queens (N.C.) at 1 p.m. CT Saturday.
 
Jax State (11-9, 4-5) halted a four-game losing skid with Thursday's 43-41 triumph over Central Arkansas. Kennedy Gavin nailed a jumper with 4.9 seconds to go to clinch that victory. Two days later, a full-team performance saw Rick Pietri's squad hand a red-hot North Alabama team a 60-50 defeat in Jacksonville. Now, they return to the road looking to improve their marks in league play (4-5) and in away matchups (2-6). It will not be an easy task, however, playing two quality teams in the Flames and Royals.
 
Liberty (13-7, 7-2) is led by veteran head coach Carey Green. The longtime leader ensured that his team would be ready for league play with a tough non-conference slate that saw them take on Minnesota, Washington, and defending national champions South Carolina. The Flames have had a solid start to ASUN competition as well, only suffering losses at FGCU (70-53) and at North Florida (68-58). They have had an impressive past couple weeks, downing FGCU in overtime at home (88-78 OT) before winning at Austin Peay (71-66) and Lipscomb (65-56).
 
Jacksonville State will face a tough test against Liberty, one of the tallest and best shooting teams in the nation. The Flames rank 33^rd in rebound margin (+7.1 per game), 36^th in blocks per game (4.5), 42^nd in field goal percentage (44.7%), and 54^th in three-point percentage (34.5%). 6-foot-3 center Mya Berkman is top-five in the conference in points per game (14.1) and field goal percentage (70.6%), while sharpshooting sophomore Emma Hess is fourth in three-point percentage (41.0%).
 
Queens (7-13, 2-7) suffered a 59-39 setback against the Gamecocks at The Pete on Jan. 7. Since then, however, the Royals have clinched their first conference wins as an ASUN member at North Florida (68-53) and versus Stetson (77-75). They have fallen in back-to-back games after tallying an 11-point loss at Lipscomb last Thursday and a 70-56 defeat at Austin Peay on Saturday.
 
Austin Peay transfer Kasey Kidwell had a strong game against Jax State the first time around, finishing with 16 points, four assists, and two rebounds. The graduate guard is second on the team with 11.4 points per game. Leading scorer Adia Brisker, who averages 13.1 points per contest, was held to eight points and six rebounds in Calhoun County. The Gamecocks will look to crash the boards better in the Land of the Pines, however, after giving up 14 rebounds to Jordyn Weaver in the first meeting.
 
Kennedy Gavin continued her hot streak in last week's games. The graduate forward had 10 points against UCA, including the game-winner, and added a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double on Saturday versus UNA. Gavin has scored in double-figures in eight of the last nine games and is averaging 17.3 points per contest in conference play.
 
The Gamecocks remain one of the most disciplined teams in all of Division I women's basketball. Jax State is 10^th in turnovers per game (12.4), 13^th in defensive three-point percentage (25.7%), 19^th in scoring defense (54.8 points allowed per game), and 34^th in turnover margin (+4.35 per game).
 
Jacksonville State is 1-1 all-time versus Liberty. The Gamecocks fell 62-57 in Lynchburg, Va., last January before claiming a 59-57 triumph on Kiana Johnson's buzzer beater in the ASUN Semifinals on March 9, 2022. Their 20-point win over Queens in January marked the first meeting between the two programs.
 
Thursday's game at Liberty Arena will start at 6 p.m. CT and Saturday's game at Curry Arena in Charlotte will begin around 1 p.m. CT. Both contests will be broadcast on ESPN+ and Logan Maddox will cover the matchups on the Gamecock Sports Network.
 
Links to follow along with live stats, watch, or listen to the games will be provided at JSUGamecockSports.com. Score updates and highlights will be posted on JSU women's basketball's Twitter account (@JaxStateWBB). 
 
To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, be sure to follow their Facebook (Jacksonville State University Women's Basketball), Twitter (@JaxStateWBB), and Instagram (@JaxStateWBB) accounts.