DELAND, Fla. – Kennedy Gavin took over in the fourth period of Jacksonville State's 57-50 triumph at Stetson on Wednesday afternoon. The graduate forward finished with a game-high 23 points and nine boards in the Gamecocks' first-ever win at Stetson. 
 
"Kennedy definitely had a big game today," head coach Rick Pietri said after the win. "She had a bad third period but was able to take over when we needed her to in the fourth. It was great to see that sort of a performance from her to close out the season, especially with All-Conference awards coming up soon."
 
Gavin went to work early for Jax State in the Sunshine State. The native of Petal, Miss., went 4-of-5 from the field in the first period and scored a game-best eight points. Her efforts, paired with a team shooting percentage of 53.8%, helped the Gamecocks to an early 15-11 advantage. Their lead increased in the second. Jacksonville State went on an impressive 12-0 run midway through the frame en route to claiming a 30-18 halftime lead.
 
The Gamecock offense struggled in the third period. An emphatic defensive performance by the Hatters held Jacksonville State to just two made field goals in the interval and allowed their offense to go on a massive scoring spurt of their own. A two-point lead for Jax State at the end of three would not last for long as Stetson kept getting stops and tied it early in the fourth. Fortunately, Gavin was able to take over in crunch time. The 6-footer put a rough third period in the rearview, adding ten points in the final stanza and helping Jax State secure the 57-50 triumph.
 
Gavin's 23 points came thanks to a 10-of-15 outing from the field. Keiara Griffin also finished in double figures, adding 11 points and six rebounds. Shawnta Shaw ended up with nine points on 4-of-6 shooting, four rebounds, and two assists.
 
"We needed this one," Pietri said. "Our goal all week long has been to get that six-seed. We battled today and got our part of the equation over with. Now, we're going to be sending prayers to Queens (N.C.) and Jacksonville and scoreboard-watching tonight."
 
The Gamecocks will return to play this weekend in the ASUN Championship, but their destination, opponent, and seed are currently unknown. If Kennesaw State falls to Queens and North Alabama loses at Jacksonville this evening, Jacksonville State would clinch the sixth-seed and would play at no. 3 Lipscomb on Sunday. Anything else would relegate Pietri's team to the no. 7 versus no. 8 play-in game at no. 2 Liberty on Saturday, with the winner playing the host Flames the following day. Both QUOC/KSU and UNA/JU tip-off at 6 p.m. CST Wednesday. 
 
For more information on Jax State's seeding for this weekend's tournament, keep an eye on the program's social media channels as well as JSUGamecockSports.com.
 
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.