EL PASO, Texas – Shooting struggles loomed large in Jacksonville State women's basketball's 70-48 loss at UTEP on Thursday night. The Gamecocks shot just 26.9% from the field and 19.4% from deep in their Conference USA loss at the Don Haskins Center. 
 
"If anybody came to this game, they would wonder how in the heck UTEP lost to Jacksonville State the first time," head coach Rick Pietri said. "They came out with more focus, passion, and energy to start the game. We talked with our team about what we needed to bring today, and they didn't bring it."
 
Jax State (10-16, 5-9) struggled to put the ball in the hoop early on. They shot 2-of-16 from the field in the first, with their only made shots being three-pointers by Rachel Johnson and Madison McCoy. Conversely, the Miners (11-16, 6-8) knocked down eight field goals and led 19-8 through one. The separation continued for UTEP in the second period. A 22-10 frame saw them build as much as a 25-point lead, and they held a 41-18 halftime advantage. 
 
The Gamecocks began to battle back in the third. A 14-4 run to start the frame showed promise, but the Miners promptly responded with a run of their own. UTEP led 52-32 entering the final stanza and a productive finish saw them pull away even more in a 70-48 win.
 
"The only bright spot was we started the second half well," Pietri said. "We erased ten points off the lead to start the second half, but it's just difficult to overcome when you can't shoot it."
 
Johnson was the only performer to score in double figures, finishing with 15 points on five made treys. Kristol Ayson added eight points and four steals and Bre'Anna Rhodes totaled seven points, three rebounds, and three steals.
 
The Gamecocks continue their road trip across the southwest this weekend with a road game at New Mexico State. Saturday's game at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces, N.M., will tip-off at 3 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on ESPN+ and the Gamecock Sports Network.
 
Links to listen, watch, or follow along with live stats for those games will be provided at JaxStateSports.com. In addition, score updates and highlights will be posted on Jax State Women's Basketball's X account (@JaxStateWBB).

To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, follow their Facebook (Jacksonville State Women's Basketball), Instagram (@JaxStateWBB), and X (@JaxStateWBB) accounts.