Gamecocks Edge Buccaneers in Close Contest at Freedom Hall Civic Center
The Jacksonville State Gamecocks emerged victorious with a narrow 63-61 win over the East Tennessee State Buccaneers. The Gamecocks now stand with a record of 1-0, while the Buccaneers fall to 0-1.
In a game that saw six ties and four lead changes, the Jacksonville State Gamecocks secured a hard-fought victory against the East Tennessee State Buccaneers at Freedom Hall Civic Center. The Gamecocks' performance was marked by precision from the free-throw line, making 13 out of 15 attempts which translates to an impressive 87 percent accuracy rate. From beyond the arc, they also excelled by sinking 12 three-pointers on a remarkable shooting percentage of 46 percent.
The defensive efforts of Jacksonville State were notable as well, with the team accumulating three blocks and four steals throughout the game. On offense, they distributed well, recording 13 assists which reflects their collaborative play style. Despite facing challenges in ball control resulting in a total of 14 turnovers for Jacksonville State, they managed to maintain composure and leverage scoring opportunities such as capitalizing on points off turnovers with a total of twelve.
East Tennessee State Buccaneers put up an equally commendable fight but fell just short in this encounter. Their two-point field goal percentage stood at an efficient rate of approximately 53 percent as they made good use of their chances inside the paint where they scored twenty-two points.
The rebounding battle was closely contested; however, it was East Tennessee that came out slightly ahead with thirty-two rebounds compared to Jacksonville's twenty-eight rebounds. The Buccaneers also demonstrated quick hands on defense leading to eleven steals and converting those into fourteen points off turnovers.
As both teams fought tooth and nail until the last buzzer sounded, it was ultimately Jacksonville's ability to execute from long range coupled with their free throw accuracy that sealed their victory.
Looking ahead for fans eager to follow their team's progress: The next challenge for Jacksonville State Gamecocks will be against Utah Utes at Jon M. Huntsman Center located in Salt Lake City on December ninth at ten PM Eastern Time Zone (ET). This matchup can be watched live on Pac-12 Network for those who wish to tune in and support their team from afar.