PDF Box Score
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Eastern Illinois had a crucial scoreless stretch in the middle portion of the second half that Jacksonville State was able to take advantage of as JSU beat EIU 69-62 on Thursday night at Pete Mathews Coliseum.
EIU fell to 9-7 overall, 2-1 in the OVC. JSU improved to 11-5, 3-0 in the OVC.
Jacksonville State held a 30-29 lead at the half after holding the Panthers to two long stretches without a field goal. EIU had an early 8-0 lead before the Panthers went 5:46 without a basket watching JSU pull out to a 26-20 lead on a jumper by Marlon Hunter. Hunter scored six straight points during a 9-0 run by the Gamecocks. He finished the game with 15 points.
Ben Harvey snapped the scoring drought with a free throw with 5:34 to play in the first as EIU responded with an 8-0 run of its own. Harvey capped the run with a 3-pointer with at the 3:31 mark. EIU would get one more free throw the remainder of the half. Â
JSU opened the second half on a 9-0 run to extend the lead to double figures. Jason Burnell hit back-to-back 3-pointers followed by a 3-pointer by Ty Hudson to make it 39-29 with 18:01 to play in the half.Â
The Panthers battled back and would take the lead in the second half with an 8-0 run of their own.Â
Kashawn Charles and
Mack Smith both had 3-pointers in the run. A pair of Harvey free throws gave EIU a 49-44 lead with 11:44 to play. Harvey finished with 14 points.
EIU would then go on a scoreless drought of 6:59 that allowed JSU to climb back into the contest. A 3-pointer by Burnell with 7:59 to play put the Gamecocks up 50-49, a lead they would never relinquish. Burnell finished with 18 points including 3-of-5 from 3-point range.
JSU pushed the lead to eight points on another 3-pointer by Hudson. JSU was 9-of-21 from behind the arc in the game.
EIU made one final run cutting the lead to four points on baskets by Charles and
Shareef Smith but could get no closer than 57-53.
Josiah Wallace had 14 points for the Panthers. Detrick Mostella added 12 points for JSU.