JONESBORO, Ark. – The Jacksonville State bowling team's five-tournament win streak came to an end on Sunday with a fourth-place finish in Arkansas State's Mid-Winter Classic.
The top-ranked Gamecocks (73-17) dropped three Baker matches on the final day of the 18-team event held at the Jonesboro Bowling Center. They entered the bracket portion of the tournament in second but dropped a 4-2 match to top seeded and third-ranked Arkansas State before losing to fifth-ranked Vanderbilt, 4-2 and to No. 10 Maryville, 4-1.
It marks the first time Jax State has walked away from a tournament without the first-place trophy since the first event of the season, Destination Orland on Oct. 29, where the Gamecocks finished in second place. They rattled off five-straight title from that point and catapulted to the top spot in the RPI and Coaches Poll.
Sunday started with a tough loss to the host Wolves, who won the team title. Arkansas State won the first game before Jax State exchanged wins twice to tie the best-of-seven match at 2-2. The Wolves put the match away with back-to-back scores of 203 that the Gamecocks' couldn't match.
The loss dropped Jax State into a match with Vandy with another chance to advance to the finals to face ASU, but the Commodores' had their best match of the weekend against the Gamecocks. They won the match, despite a 221.0 average by Jax State in the match. The Gamecocks won the first game 227-215 before falling in the second but took a 2-1 lead after a thrilling 245-243 win in the third game. The match turned in game four, when Jax State's 267 fell to a perfect game by the Commodores. Vandy would win the final two to advance to the finals and drop the Gamecocks into the third-place match with Maryville.
Jax State stormed out to a 1-0 lead with a 286-160 win over Maryville in the first game, only to drop the final four games and the match.
Jax State will be able to get back on track quickly. The Gamecocks' next tournament will start on Friday in Greensboro, N.C. at the North Carolina A&T Stallings Invitational.
