HUNTSVILLE, TX. – Jacksonville State women's basketball was downed at Sam Houston Saturday afternoon in a 53-48. The Gamecocks held Sam Houston to 13 fewer points than they average on the season, but offensive production struggled due to the Bearkats' defensive efforts.
The Gamecocks had two standouts reach double digits.
Bre'Anna Rhodes scored 11 points on 50% shooting from the field. Rhodes also grabbed the second most rebounds with five.
Mya Barnes's six rebounds were the most on the afternoon.
Maria Sanchez Ponce was the other Gamecock to score in double-figures as she added 10 points. Ponce was extremely efficient making 4-5 shots from the field and two free throws.
The first quarter was low scoring for both teams as the defenses shined. At the media timeout in the first, Jax State held a slim 6-3 advantage. By the end of the quarter, the Red-and-White was leading 9-6.
Shaquice May had the most points in the quarter thanks to a made three-point basket.
Jax State's offense shot the ball much better in the second quarter as 54.6% of their field goals found the bottom of the net. However, Sam Houston's offense found their stride in the second as well. The Bearkats shot 66.7% from the field and hit the lone three they attempted. In fact, Jax State called a timeout early in the second to stop a 9-0 run by Sam Houston that gave them a 15-11 lead.
The run continued out of the timeout as Sam Houston extended it to a 14-2 run and a 20-13 lead with 4:28 left in the first half. Barnes drove and hit a layup to end the run. At the halftime break, Jax State trailed Sam Houston 21-29.
In the third quarter, Ponce hit a layup to cut the Bearkats lead to just three points at the 4:54 mark. Sam Houston only missed one field goal attempt in the third to help them eventually extend their lead to 43-33 heading into the final quarter of action.
In the fourth, Jax State was trailing 41-51 at the media timeout with 4:16 left in the game. The Gamecocks would go on a 7-0 scoring run to force a Sam Houston timeout with 2:15 left in the game. The run cut the Bearkats' lead to 53-48 that held for the remainder of the game.
Jax State will return home on Thursday, Jan. 23, to face UTEP at 6 p.m. before a matchup at home against New Mexico State on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 1:30 p.m. The games will be streaming on ESPN+ and tickets can be purchased at JaxStateSports.com.
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