Thursday, February 1
JACKSONVILLE
6:30 P.M.
Jacksonville State University
vs
UTEP
Women's Hoops to Play Host to UTEP Thursday
1/31/2024 9:05:00 AM | Women's Basketball
JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State women's basketball will open a two-game homestand on Thursday night at Pete Mathews Coliseum as they play host to UTEP at 6:30 p.m. The Gamecocks will look to end a season-long four-game losing skid as they take on the Miners for the first time in program history.
"I would just like to see a willingness to compete," head coach Rick Pietri said of his team. "That's the biggest thing we need heading into Thursday."
Jax State (6-12, 1-5) won their conference home opener versus Liberty, 78-63, on Jan. 10, but have lost their last four contests. After dropping showdowns at home against Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee and falling at Louisiana Tech, the Red-and-White were thumped at Liberty, 63-32, on Saturday. The Flames held Pietri's squad to their lowest scoring output since a 44-32 loss to Belmont on Jan. 20, 2016, and handed them their largest league defeat as a member of Conference USA.
Bre'Anna Rhodes led the Gamecocks in scoring with 11 points in Lynchburg, Va., and continues to pace the team's efforts with 9.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Kristol Ayson (7.2 ppg) and Jaz Spencer (6.2 ppg) trail her on offense and Mya Barnes (5.0 rpg) has impressed in crashing the boards.
Jacksonville State's usual weapons will try for a collective bounce-back as UTEP (8-11, 3-3) makes its first ever trip to Calhoun County, Ala.
The Miners tallied big non-conference wins over Kansas City, North Alabama, and Southern Utah before rolling into the new year with an 81-72 victory over rival New Mexico State. After dropping three straight to the likes of FIU, MTSU, and WKU, they responded well at home last week with tight home wins over Louisiana Tech, 61-57, and Sam Houston, 66-61.
Head coach Keitha Adams, who returned to UTEP this year after six seasons leading Wichita State, has found success running the offense through senior forward Jane Asinde. The former Shocker averages 15.7 points and 8.9 rebounds per game and also leads the squad in steals and blocks. Jacksonville transfer Erin Wilson has also put up good numbers and is just behind Asinde in scoring (12.9 ppg) and rebounding (8.6 rpg).
"I expect to see a team that's very athletic, well-coached, and organized," Pietri said. "They mix up their defenses and have the ability all positions to score, both at the rim and from the arc."
Though UTEP and Jax State's programs have never met up on the hardwood, both teams are coached by veteran leaders. Pietri and Adams boast a combined 757 wins at the Division I level and are two of the winningest active head coaches in the nation.
Thursday's game will be covered on ESPN+ 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 will be posted on Jax State Women's Basketball's X account (@JaxStateWBB).
Following their test versus the Miners at The Pete, Jacksonville State remains at home this weekend for a Saturday afternoon bout with New Mexico State. Tip-off is set for 2:30 p.m. and it will serve as the program's 2024 Pink Game, during which the team will wear pink jerseys in honor of breast cancer awareness.
To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, follow their Facebook (Jacksonville State Women's Basketball), Instagram (@JaxStateWBB), and X (@JaxStateWBB) accounts.
"I would just like to see a willingness to compete," head coach Rick Pietri said of his team. "That's the biggest thing we need heading into Thursday."
Jax State (6-12, 1-5) won their conference home opener versus Liberty, 78-63, on Jan. 10, but have lost their last four contests. After dropping showdowns at home against Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee and falling at Louisiana Tech, the Red-and-White were thumped at Liberty, 63-32, on Saturday. The Flames held Pietri's squad to their lowest scoring output since a 44-32 loss to Belmont on Jan. 20, 2016, and handed them their largest league defeat as a member of Conference USA.
Bre'Anna Rhodes led the Gamecocks in scoring with 11 points in Lynchburg, Va., and continues to pace the team's efforts with 9.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Kristol Ayson (7.2 ppg) and Jaz Spencer (6.2 ppg) trail her on offense and Mya Barnes (5.0 rpg) has impressed in crashing the boards.
Jacksonville State's usual weapons will try for a collective bounce-back as UTEP (8-11, 3-3) makes its first ever trip to Calhoun County, Ala.
The Miners tallied big non-conference wins over Kansas City, North Alabama, and Southern Utah before rolling into the new year with an 81-72 victory over rival New Mexico State. After dropping three straight to the likes of FIU, MTSU, and WKU, they responded well at home last week with tight home wins over Louisiana Tech, 61-57, and Sam Houston, 66-61.
Head coach Keitha Adams, who returned to UTEP this year after six seasons leading Wichita State, has found success running the offense through senior forward Jane Asinde. The former Shocker averages 15.7 points and 8.9 rebounds per game and also leads the squad in steals and blocks. Jacksonville transfer Erin Wilson has also put up good numbers and is just behind Asinde in scoring (12.9 ppg) and rebounding (8.6 rpg).
"I expect to see a team that's very athletic, well-coached, and organized," Pietri said. "They mix up their defenses and have the ability all positions to score, both at the rim and from the arc."
Though UTEP and Jax State's programs have never met up on the hardwood, both teams are coached by veteran leaders. Pietri and Adams boast a combined 757 wins at the Division I level and are two of the winningest active head coaches in the nation.
Thursday's game will be covered on ESPN+ 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 will be posted on Jax State Women's Basketball's X account (@JaxStateWBB).
Following their test versus the Miners at The Pete, Jacksonville State remains at home this weekend for a Saturday afternoon bout with New Mexico State. Tip-off is set for 2:30 p.m. and it will serve as the program's 2024 Pink Game, during which the team will wear pink jerseys in honor of breast cancer awareness.
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
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's BasketballMonday, March 30
Saturday, March 07
Saturday, February 21
Saturday, February 07
