JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State women's basketball returns to the Pete Mathews Coliseum Thursday to take on the UTEP Miners. The Gamecocks are coming off an 0-2 road swing against Louisiana Tech and Sam Houston, while UTEP is coming off a 1-1 split at home against Liberty and Florida International. Jax State versus UTEP has been bumped up to a 6 p.m. tip after being originally scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. start.
Jax State (7-9, 1-4 CUSA) vs UTEP (9-7, 2-3 CUSA)
When: Thursday, Jan. 23 | 6 P.M.
Where: Pete Mathews Coliseum | Jacksonville, Ala.
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast
Watch: ESPN+
Tickets: Click Here
Jax State Notes |
UTEP Notes
Last Time Out
Jax State fell to Sam Houston in Huntsville, Tx., on Jan. 18 in a 53-48 final following an 80-73 loss at Louisiana Tech on Jan. 16. Against the Bearkats,
Bre'Anna Rhodes led the way with 11 points. Rhodes also added five rebounds, the team's second most in the game. Her 11 points against Sam Houston was the eighth game of the year Rhodes has scored double-digits.
Maria Sanchez Ponce also reached double-figures against Sam Houston as she added 10 points on an efficient 4-5 shooting performance.
Series History
The Gamecocks are 1-1 all-time against UTEP with both of their losses coming in the 2023-24 season. Jax State won the first matchup ever inside the Pete on Feb. 1, 2024, in a 70-62 game. UTEP avenged the road loss on Feb. 29, 2024, in a 70-48 win over Jax State at UTEP.
No Easy Buckets
Jax State's defense has been impressive to this point in the year. The Gamecocks are holding teams to 58.3 points per game ranking second in the CUSA behind Middle Tennessee only allowing 54.7 points per game. The Gamecocks rank third in the league in opponent field goal percentage, allowing only 37.6% shots to fall. Meanwhile, the Red-and-White are first in three-point defense as their opponents only sink 23.5% of their three-point attempts.
Block Party
Senior forwards
Mya Barnes ranks fourth in the CUSA in total number of blocks and average blocks per game. Barnes has 26 blocks to this point in the season for an average of 1.6 per game. Anastasiia Boldyreva, one of the best shot blockers in the country, leads the league with 52 total blocks and an average of 3.1 per game.
Planella's Return
Prior to the Louisiana Tech game on Jan. 16,
Clara Gonzalez Planella missed four games due to injury. She returned against the Lady Techsters and made an immediate impact when she entered the game in the second quarter. Planella scored eight of her game-high 16 points in the second against LA Tech. She shot 50% from three, 40% from the field, made all four of her free-throws, grabbed two rebounds, and had an assist in that game.
Up Next
The Gamecocks will host New Mexico State on Saturday, Jan. 25, to close out a short home stand. The matchup versus the Aggies will be streaming on ESPN+ and tickets can be found at JaxStateSports.com.
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.
