RUSTON, LA. – Jacksonville State's women's basketball squad fell in their first road conference game at Louisiana Tech Thursday evening in a high scoring 73-80 contest. Jax State hit 15 three-pointers which is the most threes made by a men's or women's team in the 43-year history of the Thomas Assembly Center.
The Gamecocks were led by
Clara Gonzalez Planella who scored a game-high 16 points in her return to the lineup after missing four games rehabbing an injury. Planella was an efficient scorer as she was 50% from three-point range and 40% from the field overall. She also sank all four of the free-throws she attempted.
Mya Barnes joined Planella in double-digits scoring 13 points before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.
The first quarter was back-and-forth, setting the precedent for the remainder of the game. At the media break in the opening period, the Gamecocks were leading 6-4. By the end of the quarter LA Tech had gotten hot making 60% of their field goals and leading the Gamecocks 16-14. Barnes hit two threes in the quarter to lead Jax State with six points in the first.
Jax State flipped the script in the second quarter as they scored 27 points on an impressive 56.3% shooting from the field and made 7-10 three-pointers to carry a 41-40 advantage into halftime. Planella scored eight of her 16 points in the second alone, only missing one shot and making both of her three-pointers. Jax State entered halftime shooting 50% from three, 44.8% from the field, and outrebounding the Lady Techsters 16-14.
The Gamecocks and Lady Techsters continued to battle in the third, with Jax State winning the quarter 17-16 and taking a 58-56 lead into the final 10 minutes of the game. Jax State's defense stepped up big time in the third, holding LA Tech to only 31.6% shooting from the field and not allowing them to make a three.
As the game continued being a close one down the stretch, Planella sank back-to-back threes, both regaining the lead for the Gamecocks. The first came with 7:13 left off an assist from
Elsie Harris to give Jax State a 61-60 lead. The second was a step back three with 6:24 remaining to make it a 64-62 advantage for the Red-and-White.
LA Tech took the lead 69-68 after a pair of free-throws with 3:48 left in the game and did not look back. A timeout by Jax State with 2:27 left was called to stop a 10-0 run by the Lady Techsters that game them a 75-68 lead. Out of the timeout, Barnes knocked down a three to make it a four-point game. LA Tech responded with a pair of layups to make it 79-71 with 1:49 remaining. Barnes scored a layup to cut the deficit to six, but a LA Tech free-throw with 19 seconds left sealed the game.
The Gamecocks will move on to face Sam Houston at their place on Saturday afternoon. The game is set for a 2 p.m. tip off and will be streaming on ESPN+.
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