DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Five Gamecocks finished in double-figure scoring as Jax State downed East Carolina 86-78 in the opening round of the Boardwalk Battle. The win serves as Ray Harper's 150th win as the head coach of Jacksonville State as well as his 581st career win. 

With the win, Jax State improves to 4-1, its best start since 2017-18, while East Carolina suffers their first loss and falls to 4-1.

Jao Ituka led Jax State with his best offensive outing of the season, turning in 18 points and two assists. Jaron Pierre Jr. finished the game with 16 points, a team-high six assists and six rebounds.

Trailing 39-37 at the half, the Gamecocks shot 60.7 percent from the floor including a 4-for-6 mark from beyond the arc in the second half.

In a game that featured 16 lead changes, East Carolina led 59-54 with 10:29 left in the contest before eight consecutive Gamecock points from Michael Houge and a Koree Cotton three-pointer left the score even at 64.

Pierre sank a go-ahead three-pointer on the ensuing Jax State possession and the Gamecocks did not surrender the lead for the final six minutes of the game.

After a scorching hot shooting half from East Carolina in the first half, the Pirates cooled off in the second half. ECU shot 46.2 percent from three in the first half before making just 3-of-14 (21.4%) three pointers in the second half.

East Carolina's largest lead of the night was eight points, which came with 8:28 left in the second half while Jax State took its largest lead of nine in the final 30 seconds of the game.

35 of the Gamecocks' 86 points came off of the bench, the most bench points scored by Jax State this season.

Houge and Cotton each poured on 15 points while Marcellus Brigham Jr. added 11 of his own. Houge tied Pierre as the Jax State leader with six rebounds. Cotton finished the day a perfect three-for-three from three.

Pierre's six assists are the most by any Gamecock this season and is the first time a Jax State player has had more than five assists since Alex Odam had 11 assists against Trevecca Nazarene last season.

Jax State will take on the winner of Toledo/Stetson at 4:30 p.m. in game two of the Boardwalk Battle at the Ocean Center.