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JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Host Jacksonville State scored 28 of the final 35 points to rally for a 73-61 win over the Eastern Kentucky University men's basketball team Thursday night in Pete Mathews Arena. With the victory, the Gamecocks (5-20, 3-14 OVC) ended an eight-game losing streak and earned a split of the season series with the Colonels (13-11, 10-6).
Senior
Darnell Dialls paced Eastern Kentucky with 14 points and seven boards. Junior
Mike Rose tallied 12 points while sophomore
Adam Leonard chipped in with 11 tallies.
Five players finished in double figures for Jacksonville State led by Jeremy Bynum's 18 points. The freshman guard came off the bench and netted all seven of his shot attempts, including four three-pointers. Forward Amadou Mbodji recorded his second career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Mbodji also came away with four blocks.
Eastern Kentucky led at the half, 31-26, thanks to hitting 53.8 percent (7-of-13) of its three-point shots. The Colonels were down early, 19-11, before EKU regrouped with nine straight points thanks to threes from Rose, Leonard and Dialls. Eastern then held Jacksonville State scoreless over the final 4:25 of the stanza and rattled off the last seven points to take the lead into halftime.
The Colonels maintained their small cushion throughout the beginning of the second half before back-to-back lay-ups from senior
Jamaal Douglas put EKU ahead by nine points, 54-45. Eastern missed a chance to stretch the lead to 11 points on its next possession when a
Justin Stommes dunk attempt was blocked by Mbodji.
Jacksonville State responded with 10 straight points, capped by a Bynum jumper, to regain the advantage, 55-54. After a Douglas bucket briefly gave the Colonels the lead again, the Gamecocks went on another run, this time 11 unanswered, to take control of the game.
JSU shot 68.2 percent (15-of-22) from the floor in the final 20 minutes and an even better 71.4 percent (5-of-7) from behind the arc.
With the loss, Eastern falls to 1-5 all-time at Jacksonville State.
Eastern Kentucky concludes the Alabama road swing Saturday, Feb. 16, at Samford. Game time is set for 8 p.m. The Colonels have won four straight road games.
