JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State lost their first conference game of the season at home to the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Thursday evening in a 44-51 final. The Gamecocks were plagued by a rough shooting night in which only 27.3% of their shots found the bottom of the net.
Senior forward
Bre'Anna Rhodes led the way with 12 points against the Hilltoppers. Rhodes was also the lone Gamecock to score in double-digits.
Maria Sanchez Ponce scored the next most as she poured in eight points.
Mya Barnes and
Asia Barclay tied for a team-best six rebounds apiece, while
Shaquice May and
Samiya Steele matched each other for a team-high two assists.
The game was a defensive battle from the jump as Western Kentucky took a close 8-4 advantage into the media timeout in the first quarter. The Hilltoppers shot an impressive 54.5% from the field in the opening period, but the Gamecocks were able to remain within striking distance as they trailed 13-15 at the conclusion of the quarter.
Western Kentucky went on a 6-0 run to gain a 21-13 lead halfway through the second quarter. The Gamecocks crawled back into it thanks to a three by Ponce making it a 23-20 WKU lead with just under four minutes to play in the first half. Else Harris's fast break layup with 2:29 to play in the quarter made it a 22-23 deficit for the Gamecocks. WKU hit a shot with nine seconds left to carry a 25-22 lead into the halftime intermission.
The Gamecocks continued to battle in the third quarter after the Hilltoppers got up five at the 5:44 mark the quarter. Jax State took the lead 31-29 in the third thanks to a three-point basket by
Valentina Saric with under a minute left in the quarter. WKU tied it up 31-31 as the two teams headed to the final 10 minutes of action.
In the fourth quarter, WKU's Mackenzie Chatfield hit back-to-back three-pointers to extend the Hilltopper lead to 42-35 and force a Jax State timeout with 3:35 to play in the game. The momentum from those two shots were what the Hilltoppers needed as the closest the Gamecocks would get from then on was four points.
Jax State will now move on to face Middle Tennessee on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. inside the Pete Mathews Coliseum.
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