JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State women's basketball team broke a four-game losing skid with a 57-47 win over New Orleans Friday evening at the Pete Mathews Coliseum. The Gamecocks will carry the winning momentum into a nearly 10-day break for Christmas before hitting the hardwood again on Dec. 30.
With the win Jacksonville State improves to 5-5 on the year, while New Orleans falls to 0-9. Jax State outshot New Orleans throughout the game making 39.3% of their field goals and 36.8% of their threes, while holding the Privateers to 29.8% from the field and 20.0% from three. The Gamecocks also outrebounded New Orleans 37-30.
The Gamecocks had a balanced attack in the win over the Privateers.
Valentina Saric had a team-high 11 points on an efficient 50% shooting from both the field and three-point range.
Asia Barclay,
Brooklyn McDaniel, and
Bre'Anna Rhodes all added eight points to tie for the next most on the team. Following them was
Samiya Steele with seven points and a team-best seven rebounds.
In a back-and-forth first quarter, Steele knocked down the first three of the day for the Gamecocks with 4:50 remaining in the period to tie the game at seven all. Jax State eventually would drill three three-pointers in the first and take a 17-13 advantage into the second.
Jax State continued to hold their lead in the second quarter thanks to making another 3-5 shots from range and sinking 46.67% of their field goal attempts. A tough layup by McDaniel with just over a minute remaining in the first half helped Jax State to a 34-29 lead as the first half ended.
The Gamecocks continued to keep the Privateers at arm's length in the third quarter. However, in the third quarter the Gamecocks cooled off a bit. Jax State made 31.25% of their field goal attempts and did not make any of their five shots from beyond the arc in the period. Luckily, the Gamecocks' defense held New Orleans to 35.71% from the field and zero made threes to maintain a 45-40 lead entering the final quarter of action.
In the fourth, the Jax State defense stymied New Orleans and held them to 2-14 from the field and 1-6 from three. While the Gamecocks did not shoot incredible in the fourth, they shot well enough to grant themselves a 10-point home victory. The Gamecocks made 35.71% of their shots and 25% of their threes in the fourth.
Jax State will move on to face Life University on Dec. 30 at 4:30 p.m. at the Pete Mathews Coliseum. The Game is the lone double-header with the men's team this season as they will face Fort Valley State at home following the conclusion of the women's game.
To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, follow their Facebook (Jacksonville State Women's Basketball), Instagram (@JaxStateWBB), and X (@JaxStateWBB) accounts.
