JACKSONVILLE – Jax State begins the final home weekend of the 2023-24 season on Thursday hosting UTEP in a 6 p.m. tip-off from Pete Mathews Coliseum.
 
The Gamecocks (14-14, 6-7 CUSA) and Miners (13-15, 4-9 CUSA) meet for just the third time in series history, with the El Paso-based club making their first visit to Alabama. Earlier this season, UTEP came away with a 79-71 home victory in the first conference battle between the two schools.
 
Jax State sits tied with Middle Tennessee for fourth in the league standings with three games remaining in the regular season. Seeds 3-6 will play their opening round game of the 2024 Conference Basketball Tournament in Huntsville, Ala., on Thursday, March 14. The tournament begins on Tuesday, March 12 with an 8/9 matchup to advance into the traditional eight-team bracket.
 
The Gamecocks are coming off a thrilling 77-75 road comeback win at FIU on Saturday, looking to extend their winning streak to three games overall. KyKy Tandy, the conference's leading scorer averaging 17.8 points will become just the third Gamecock with 500 points in a single season during the program's Division I era with his first basket on Thursday. Also notable, senior Juwan Perdue will set a new record for most games played in program history when he steps on the floor for his 134th game.
 
Perdue, and fellow senior Matt Mayers, will be recognized prior to Saturday's Senior Day home finale against New Mexico State.
 
Both games this weekend stream on ESPN+ with live stats available at JaxStateSports.com. Mike Parris will provide the radio play-by-play over the Gamecock Sports Network.