JACKSONVILLE—Jax State continued its winning ways and improved to 8-0 at Pete Mathews Coliseum with a 71-67 win over FIU Thursday night to record their fifth-consecutive Conference USA victory.
 
The win gave the Gamecocks sole possession of first place in Conference USA.
 
A 9-0 run in just 99 seconds helped the Gamecocks (14-7, 6-2 CUSA) jump out to an 11-4 advantage at the 15:47 mark of the first half. FIU held a 4-2 lead at the 17:54 mark of the half, but made just one of their next eight shots.
 
Jax State cooled, making just one of their next seven shots which allowed the Panthers to get within three at 13-10 with 11:53 left in the first.
 
FIU (7-14, 1-7 CUSA) made six of eight shots to get within a basket at halftime, trailing 36-34. 
 
The guests swung momentum their way with a 3-pointer and then a dunk off a turnover at the 17:05 mark of the second to get within three at 42-39, and again at the 16:07 mark but the Gamecocks were able to regain control with a three-point play by Mason Nicholson at the 15:48 mark to go up 47-41.
 
Nicholson finished with 10 points and seven rebounds, going 4-of-5 from the field.
 
"We had good balance and we got off to the type of start I wanted," said coach Ray Harper. "I thought the ball was moving, and then it just stalled out. We just start playing too much, one on one, and that's when we get ourselves in trouble."
 
An 8-0 run by FIU, combined with holding the hosts scoreless over 3:18 helped get the Panthers tie the game with 9:46 to play, but Jao Ituka answered with a 3-pointer on the next possession to put the Gamecocks back on top. Quel'Ron House pushed it to a two-possession game with a floating jumper from the elbow the next time down the floor.
 
Ituka finished with 10 points.
 
Another 6-0 run by FIU tied the game at 59 with 6:16 remaining, taking advantage of three Jax State turnovers. Jaron Pierre answered with a 3-pointer on the next possession from the top of the key with the shot clock about to expire with 5:22 left.
 
Pierre led a group of five Gamecocks in double figures with 14 points, despite held scoreless until splitting a pair of free throws at the 7:43 mark of the first and was held without a field goal until the 4:19 mark of the first which gave the Gamecocks a 30-26 advantage.
 
The Panthers took a one-point lead with 3:53 to play on a putback by Jayden Brewer, but the lead was short lived as Koree Cotton connected on a layup at the 3:26 mark to give Jax State a 64-63 advantage.
 
Cotton knocked down a key 3-pointer with 1:56 to play to after a steal by House to push the lead to four.
 
Cotton finished with 10 points.
 
The Gamecocks will be back at home on Saturday at 4 p.m. against Liberty.