JACKSONVILLE—The Jax State women's basketball team had one of its best offensive efforts of the season in a 73-60 victory over UTEP for its third straight win of the season and to move into third place in the Conference USA standings.
 
It's the first three-game Conference USA win streak for Jax State since February of 2024.
 
Jax State (11-8, 5-2 CUSA) shot 43.3% from the field, made 12 3-pointers at a 42.9% success rate, and were 9-of-10 at the free throw line.
 
An 8-0 run gave Jax State a 13-6 lead with 5:01 left in the first quarter when Mya Barnes buried her 36^th 3-pointer of the season. She finished with 10 points, and was the team co-leader in rebounds with seven.
 
The Gamecocks hit seven of their 14 first half shots for a 17-15 advantage after 10 minutes.
 
After whittling the deficit to two with a 3-pointer by Portia Adams at the end of the first, UTEP (9-10, 1-7 CUSA) tied the game at 17 on their first possession of the second quarter after forcing a Jax State turnover. Mina Djurdjevic broke a 19-all deadlock with a right-wing triple at the 8:15 mark, then gave her team a three-point lead on the following possession with a driving layup.
 
Djurdjevic had 10 of her 12 points in the first half.
 
Barnes converted her second triple of the game from the top of the key as the first half expired to put the Gamecocks up 35-27 at the intermission. Barnes finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, and matched her career high with four assists.
 
Adriana Jones connected on a three-pointer from the left corner with 6:36 left in the third as the Gamecocks were able to break a full-court press by the Miners, which was followed by a Makala Hobdy triple from the left corner on the next possession to take a 48-37 lead for their largest advantage of the contest.
 
Hobdy finished with 13 points, dished out a career-high six assists, and had five rebounds.
 
The Miners responded with a 10-0 run in under 2:00 to cut the deficit to one at 48-47 after making five-of-six from the field. The run came to an end on a 3-ball by Maria Sanchez Ponce in the left corner with 1:59 left in the third.
 
A four-of-eight performance from 3-point land in the third quarter helped Jax State hold a 53-47 advantage at the end of the quarter despite the guests scoring 20 points in those 10 minutes.
 
Five straight points by Hobdy from the 6:41 mark to the 5:57 mark gave Jax State a 60-53 advantage. She also converted a three-point play at the 4:12 mark to give her team an eight-point lead at 65-57. Adriana Jones converted a three-point play with 3:00 left to give the Gamecocks a nine-point lead at 68-59.
 
Jones finished with 13 points, going 5-of-13 from the field. Eden Sample had 11 points and four rebounds.
 
The Gamecocks will hit the road next week to take on Sam Houston on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
 
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