JACKSONVILLE – Jax State women's basketball earned a 70-62 overtime win against Kennesaw State at Pete Mathews Coliseum on senior day.
 
Kyera Thornsbury came up huge in overtime hitting back-to-back threes and nailing a pair of free throws to give Jax State a 62-58 advantage with 2:23 left on the clock. With the Owls within two, Brooklyn McDaniel hit a layup and drew a foul for the and-one attempt. McDaniel sank the free throw to extend the lead to 65-60 Jax State. Eden Sample's layup with only 23 seconds left was the dagger for Jax State as the basket put the Gamecocks in front 67-60.
 
Thornsbury had an outstanding day as she posted a career-high 26 points on 8-of-17 shooting and 6-of-11 from three in 35 minutes of action. She also sank all four of her free throw attempts. McDaniel followed Thornsbury with 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting, a team best nine rebounds, and a team-high 42 minutes played.
 
Maria Sanchez-Ponce was the only other Gamecock with double-figures as she finished with 11 points and added seven rebounds respectively.
 
Kennesaw got out to an early 9-8 lead in the first quarter, but out of the game's first media timeout Jax State scored seven straight to go up 15-9. By the end of the first, Jax State led 23-15. Early in the second, Sanchez-Ponce nailed a three to put Jax State in front by 11. By the 2:53 mark in the quarter however, Kennesaw cut it to five. Thornsbury hit one of her six threes with 26 seconds left to help Jax State carry a 35-27 lead into halftime.
 
Out of the intermission, Jax State was able to extend their lead to 44-31 by the 5:08 mark. At the end of three quarters Kennesaw trailed the Gamecocks 48-39. Kennesaw clawed their way back in it late in the fourth quarter, including a three from Trynce Taylor to make it 54-52 Jax State with 1:48 left in regulation. A turnover by Jax State resulted in a pair of made free throws by Kennesaw to tie the game at 54-54 and send the game into overtime.
 
The Gamecocks closed out the regular season with a 15-15 record and a 9-9 mark in CUSA play and will move on to play in next week's CUSA Tournament in Huntsville, Ala. The Gamecocks finished as the seventh seed and will play Tuesday against the 10 seed in the tournament. More information will be available on JaxStateSports.com when the bracket is set.
 
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