GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Jacksonville State bowling team took second place at North Carolina A&T's Stallings Invitational on Sunday after two matches with Arkansas State that went down to the wire.
The top-ranked Gamecocks (82-21) and the third-ranked Wolves went a full seven games to decide the first match of the day, one that Jax State won 4-3 to advance to the championship match. ASU then fought its way into the title bout, one that needed a tiebreaker before Jax State fell.
It marked Jax State's second runner-up finish of the season and gives the Gamecocks seven finishes in the top two spots in just eight tournaments in their inaugural season. Along with the second-place finish, Jax State saw redshirt senior
Crystal Elliott land on the Stallings Invitational All-Tournament Team.
The top two seeds entering Sunday's bracket play showed why they were two of the nation's top teams entering the weekend. Jax State jumped to a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven semifinal match and then held off a late ASU charge to secure a spot in the final.
After a 198-195 Jax State win in the first game and a 205-198 win in the second, the Wolves got on the board with a 224-192 win in the third. The Gamecocks pushed the Wolves to the brink of defeat with a 191-182 win in the fourth game, but back-to-back wins from ASU forced a seventh and deciding game.
The Gamecocks coasted, failing to strike on only one frame and handing ASU a 261-184 loss.
Jax State cruised past Florida A&M, 4-0 in a tune-up match while ASU had to beat Vanderbilt in seven games to set up the rematch in the final.
In the championship match, the two teams drew to a 192-192 tie to start, setting the stage for what would be a thrilling finish. ASU won the next two to take a 2.5-0.5 lead, only to watch Jax State rally with a 225-171 and 210-198 win in the fourth and fifth games.
The Wolves won game six, 204-179, but Jax State tied it again at 3.5-3.5 with a 179-162 win in the seventh. The tiebreaker didn't go the Gamecocks' way, with ASU pulling away with a 105-72 win to clinch the tournament.
The Gamecocks will take a week to recoup and prepare for the USBC Sectionals, which will be held March 8-10 at the Smyrna Bowling Center in Smyrna, Tenn.
