MONDAY'S SCORES
@Maryland 92,
Jacksonville State 66
@Murray State 103, Bethel 65
MARYLAND 92, JACKSONVILLE STATE 66
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Jacksonville State men's basketball team dropped a 92-66 decision to Big Ten powerhouse Maryland on Monday at the XFINITY Center.
Freshman Jacara Cross and senior Greg Tucker led the Gamecocks in scoring with 10 points each, and junior Norbertas Giga snagged a team-high five boards as JSU tied the Terrapins with 28 rebounds.
Cross scored the Gamecocks' first six points on consecutive baskets and tied his career-high for points in the opening period alone. The freshman was 5-for-5 from the floor and recorded a team-best 10 points in the first half.
Jacksonville State held the lead for just under five minutes in the half and pushed its advantage to a high of three points with the help of a Malcolm Drumwright trey. The game was tied three times and the lead swapped hands four times before Maryland took a permanent lead at the 10:17 mark.
The Terps found a groove halfway through the period, hitting a 17-3 run and holding the Gamecocks scoreless for 10 consecutive points. The half came to a close with Maryland out-scoring JSU 26-12 to close out the period. Jacksonville State trailed 42-29 at the half.
Despite a few Maryland baskets to begin the second half, the Gamecocks climbed back into the game with a 6-0 run. JSU came within 10 points of the Terps with a 5-for-7 performance from the field in the short amount of time that forced a timeout by the home team. Maryland was 0-for-6 from the field during the stretch and didn't hit a field goal for more than five minutes.
Foul trouble plagued the Gamecocks later as Cross and Giga both had to go to the bench with five fouls. The Terrapins pulled away following the JSU run and key disqualifications, extending its lead to a game-high 21 points just beyond the period's midway point.
MURRAY STATE 103, BETHEL 65
MURRAY, Ky. - The Murray State Racers ran away with a 103-65 win Monday night over the Bethel Wildcats and pushed their home win streak to six at the CFSB Center in Murray, Kentucky.
Nine different Racers scored and six made it to double-figures as Bryce Jones led the way with 20, while Jachai Taylor scored 19 and Jonathan Stark 16.
MSU improved to 5-5 as they take off this week for a two-game road trip to Ole Miss and South Dakota State.
The Racers jumped in front 21-10 at the mid-way mark of the opening half and led by 16 with 6:20 left. MSU led 43-28 at the intermission on 45 percent shooting, while holding Bethel to 30 percent. The second half saw MSU score 60 in the half and they held Bethel without a field goal for nearly nine minutes.
MSU pushed its home win streak to six, including a 4-0 mark this season. MSU looks to win away from home this week where they're 0-4 this season.
The Racers had a season-high 25 assists, topping the 19 they had against Alabama A&M.