Jacksonville, Ala. - The Tennessee State University men's basketball team dropped their third straight game falling to Jacksonville State in OVC play, 85-67, at the Pete Mathews Coliseum on Thursday night (1/21).

TSU (4-16, 1-7 OVC) shot 43 percent and was out rebounded, 40-32. The Tigers committed 20 turnovers including eight late in the second half which led to 16 points for the Gamecocks.

Three players finished in double figures for the Big Blue. Darius Cox scored a season and team-high, 17 points (8-of-13), to go with nine rebounds.

Robert Covington posted 11 points and seven boards and Josh Sain followed with 10 points.

The Tigers held their largest lead of the night in the first half, 33-25 (3:29), and led at the intermission, 35-32.

In the second with the score even at 45 (15:48), the Gamecocks used scoring runs of 14-5 and 15-5 (7:28), to extend the lead for the largest margin, 85-65, with 1:56 remaining. 

JSU scored 50 points in the paint, 27 fast-break points and 15 second-chance points while capitalizing on the TSU turnovers to secure the win.

JSU (8-10, 4-4 OVC) shot 53 percent from the field and were led in scoring by Nick Murphy, Trenton Marshall, and Stephen Hall.

Murphy shot 10-of-14 and registered a double-double with a game-high 23 points and 12 rebounds. Marshall went 9-of-16 for 21 points adding nine boards and five assists.

Hall scored 12 points, hitting 5-of-6 from the floor, and Dominique Shellman dished out a game-high 10 assists.

The Tigers' road grind continues when they travel to Cookeville, Tenn. for conference play against Tennessee Tech on Saturday, January 23. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the Eblen Center.