JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Impressive offensive performances from Kennedy Gavin and Kyra Williams and an aggressive outing on defense guided Jacksonville State's women's basketball team to a 68-61 triumph in Thursday's ASUN Conference showdown at North Florida. 
 
"In the first half, we blew a lot of defensive assignments," head coach Rick Pietri said after the win. "They've got a very diverse team, meaning they've got a number of players who can do different things. 
 
"Offensively, we found a way," Pietri said. "We did what we had to do. It wasn't always pretty, but we found a way to win it and that's the most important thing. At this point in the year, it's literally about surviving and advancing. We survived and advanced today."
 
Gavin and Williams ended up with 18 and 15 points respectively to lead the Jax State offense. And although the Ospreys caught fire from beyond the arc, 25 turnovers forced by the Gamecock defense led to a thrilling win in the Sunshine State. 
 
Both offenses started out on the right foot. Jax State hit seven field goals in the first period and led for most of the frame, but a frenzy of threes by UNF helped them claim an 18-16 advantage through one. Their success from deep continued in the second. They drained four more before halftime to offset a comeback attempt by the Gamecocks. 11 and 10 first-half points from Gavin and Williams helped keep Jacksonville State in it, but North Florida commanded a 35-33 lead going into the locker rooms.
 
Pietri's trademark defense shined in the second half. Although the Ospreys produced, tallying 26 points in the final 20 minutes, pressure from the Gamecocks forced them to commit 15 turnovers. Jax State outscored UNF 21-17 in the third to retake the lead and led the entirety of the fourth, scoring eight points off turnovers over the final ten minutes to secure a 68-61 triumph.
 
Shawnta Shaw added eight points, six rebounds, four steals, and three assists, and Bre'Anna Rhodes and Masengo Mutanda ended up with six points each. 
 
Jax State committed just eight turnovers and had 25 points off North Florida's 25 turnovers. The Ospreys out-rebounded the Gamecocks 43-34, but the visitors had more points in the paint (32 to UNF's 24), fast break points (16-9), and bench points (17-14). 
 
Jacksonville State rounds out this week's road trip with a Saturday matinee against Jacksonville. That matchup at Swisher Gymnasium will tip-off at noon CT. It will be broadcast on ESPN+ and Logan Maddox will have the call on the Gamecock Sports Network. 
 
Links to follow along with live stats, watch, or listen to the game 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.