Thursday, January 16
Ruston, LA
6:30 P.M.
Jacksonville State University
at
Louisiana Tech
Gamecocks head to LA Tech for their first CUSA road game
1/15/2025 10:30:00 AM | Women's Basketball
RUSTON, LA. – Jacksonville State women's basketball will be playing their first road conference games of the 2024-25 season this weekend beginning with a showdown against the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters on Thursday, Jan. 16. Following Thursday's game, the Gamecocks will head to Sam Houston on Saturday, Jan. 18.
Jax State (7-7, 1-2 CUSA) vs Louisiana Tech (9-6, 2-2 CUSA)
When: Thursday, Jan. 16 | 6:30 P.M.
Where: Thomas Assembly Center | Ruston, La.
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast
Watch: ESPN+ (Lyn Rollins, Victor Howell)
Jax State Notes
Last Time Out
Jax State struggled offensively against the CUSA preseason favorites Middle Tennessee on Jan. 11 at home. The Gamecocks fell 35-69 to the Blue Raiders in a game in which only 21.8% of their shots fell and 12.5% of their threes found the bottom of the net. Maria Sanchez Ponce was the lone Jax State player to reach double-digit scoring with a team-best 12 points on 4-6 shooting from the field.
Series History
Jax State is 0-3 against the Lady Techsters with all three of their matchups coming last season in the Gamecocks' first year as members of Conference USA. The first matchup came at the Pete Mathews Coliseum on Jan. 20, 2024, in a 67-53 Lady Techsters win. The most recent game between the teams came in the CUSA Tournament on March 14, 2024, win the Gamecocks lost 54-60.
Post Player Production
The Gamecocks' three post players, Bre'Anna Rhodes, Mya Barnes, and Asia Barclay are leading Jax State in points per game and rebounds per game. Rhodes leads the team in points per game averaging 9.6. Rhodes also averages 5.3 rounds per game which is second on the team. Barnes is second on the team in points per game at 7.3. Her and Barclay are tied for first in average rebounds per game at 5.4. Barnes also leads Jax State in blocks with 24 on the year. Barclay is third in scoring averaging 7.1 points per game. Barnes leads the team in field goal percentage, shooting 55.1% thus far.
Not in my House
Barnes' 24 blocks equate to an average of 1.7 blocks per contest this season. Her numbers are enough to have her at fourth in the CUSA in total blocks per game and average blocks per game. Anastasiia Boldyreva of MTSU leads the league with 47 total and 2.9 blocks per game.
Defensive Mindset
Head coach Rick Pietri's squads have been known to be defensive forces since he arrived at Jax State. This season, the Gamecocks rank second in the CUSA in scoring defense giving up only 57.1 points per game. The Gamecocks also hold their opponents to 23.7% three-point shooting which ranks first in the league and allow opponents to make only 36.3% of their field goals, good enough for second in the conference.
Offensive Struggles
Shooting woes doomed the Gamecocks over the last two games. Against WKU, Jax State shot 27.3% from the field and against MTSU, Jax State shot 21.8% from the field. The Gamecocks scored below 47 points for the fifth time this season against Middle Tennessee. The 35 points against MTSU was the team's season low in 20224-25. Even with the two most recent games, the Gamecocks still rank first in the CUSA in three-pointers made averaging 7.9 per contest.
On the Road Again
Jax State's game Thursday against LA Tech will be the first road game in a month the Gamecocks have played since the Utah Valley loss on Dec. 16. The Gamecocks currently are 6-3 inside the Pete and 1-4 when outside of Jacksonville.
Up Next
Jax State will follow up their first road game with another on Saturday, Jan. 18, at Sam Houston. The game against the Bearkats is set for a 2:00 p.m. start.
Stay in the Know
To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, follow their Facebook (Jacksonville State Women's Basketball), Instagram (@JaxStateWBB), and X (@JaxStateWBB) accounts.
Jax State (7-7, 1-2 CUSA) vs Louisiana Tech (9-6, 2-2 CUSA)
When: Thursday, Jan. 16 | 6:30 P.M.
Where: Thomas Assembly Center | Ruston, La.
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast
Watch: ESPN+ (Lyn Rollins, Victor Howell)
Jax State Notes
Last Time Out
Jax State struggled offensively against the CUSA preseason favorites Middle Tennessee on Jan. 11 at home. The Gamecocks fell 35-69 to the Blue Raiders in a game in which only 21.8% of their shots fell and 12.5% of their threes found the bottom of the net. Maria Sanchez Ponce was the lone Jax State player to reach double-digit scoring with a team-best 12 points on 4-6 shooting from the field.
Series History
Jax State is 0-3 against the Lady Techsters with all three of their matchups coming last season in the Gamecocks' first year as members of Conference USA. The first matchup came at the Pete Mathews Coliseum on Jan. 20, 2024, in a 67-53 Lady Techsters win. The most recent game between the teams came in the CUSA Tournament on March 14, 2024, win the Gamecocks lost 54-60.
Post Player Production
The Gamecocks' three post players, Bre'Anna Rhodes, Mya Barnes, and Asia Barclay are leading Jax State in points per game and rebounds per game. Rhodes leads the team in points per game averaging 9.6. Rhodes also averages 5.3 rounds per game which is second on the team. Barnes is second on the team in points per game at 7.3. Her and Barclay are tied for first in average rebounds per game at 5.4. Barnes also leads Jax State in blocks with 24 on the year. Barclay is third in scoring averaging 7.1 points per game. Barnes leads the team in field goal percentage, shooting 55.1% thus far.
Not in my House
Barnes' 24 blocks equate to an average of 1.7 blocks per contest this season. Her numbers are enough to have her at fourth in the CUSA in total blocks per game and average blocks per game. Anastasiia Boldyreva of MTSU leads the league with 47 total and 2.9 blocks per game.
Defensive Mindset
Head coach Rick Pietri's squads have been known to be defensive forces since he arrived at Jax State. This season, the Gamecocks rank second in the CUSA in scoring defense giving up only 57.1 points per game. The Gamecocks also hold their opponents to 23.7% three-point shooting which ranks first in the league and allow opponents to make only 36.3% of their field goals, good enough for second in the conference.
Offensive Struggles
Shooting woes doomed the Gamecocks over the last two games. Against WKU, Jax State shot 27.3% from the field and against MTSU, Jax State shot 21.8% from the field. The Gamecocks scored below 47 points for the fifth time this season against Middle Tennessee. The 35 points against MTSU was the team's season low in 20224-25. Even with the two most recent games, the Gamecocks still rank first in the CUSA in three-pointers made averaging 7.9 per contest.
On the Road Again
Jax State's game Thursday against LA Tech will be the first road game in a month the Gamecocks have played since the Utah Valley loss on Dec. 16. The Gamecocks currently are 6-3 inside the Pete and 1-4 when outside of Jacksonville.
Up Next
Jax State will follow up their first road game with another on Saturday, Jan. 18, at Sam Houston. The game against the Bearkats is set for a 2:00 p.m. start.
Stay in the Know
To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, follow their Facebook (Jacksonville State Women's Basketball), Instagram (@JaxStateWBB), and X (@JaxStateWBB) accounts.
Players Mentioned
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