COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Dion Waiters drove the baseline and
scored a basket, drew the foul and converted the three-point play
as the horn sounded to lift visiting Jacksonville State to a
stunning 63-62 victory over Tennessee Tech Thursday night in Ohio
Valley Conference basketball action.
While everyone in the arena thought Tech had won the game,
officials ruled that the play occurred before the clock had reached
zero. They put one second back on the clock but Tech's last-ditch
attempt was well off the mark.
Jacksonville State (7-14/2-6 OVC) was led by Tarvin Gaines with 15
points, while Daroin Rackley added 11 and Brian Williams added 10.
Waters finished with nine, while Ronnie Boggs chipped in seven
points and seven rebounds.
The Golden Eagles (11-8/3-3 OVC) got 21 points and 13 rebounds
from junior Jud
Dillard, who was 11-for-12 at the free throw line. It was his
fifth double-double of the season. Freshman Javon McKay scored a
career-high 15 points while Kevin Murphy added
seven points and seven rebounds. Point guard Zac Swansey had five
assists to move into fifth place on the Tech career list.
JSU jumped on top early and led by as many as 12 points in the
first half, following a 14-4 run. The Gamecocks were up by eight at
halftime, 37-29.
Tech slowly worked its way back into the contest in the second
half, using an 11-1 run to eventually tie the game at 42-42. The
contest was knotted two more times, before Tech moved on top 47-46
with 7:34 remaining.
A 3-pointer by Zach Bailey made it a
six-point Tech lead, 54-48, with 5:26 left, but JSU wouldn't fold.
The Gamecocks scored the next six points to tie the game at 54-54
with 2:50 left.
Twice in the final two minutes Tech gained a four-point advantage,
the second at 61-57 with 19 seconds to play after Murphy made one
of two free throws.
Brian Williams scored a 3-pointer with eight seconds left to make
it a 61-60 Tech lead, and the Gamecocks quickly fouled Murphy with
six seconds left. The senior made one but missed the second,
leaving the difference at two points.
The Gamecocks took the rebound the length of the floor before
Waiters controversial play shocked the crowd.
Most of the game's numbers were pretty even, except in rebounds
where the Golden Eagles had a 37-24 advantage. JSU had a large edge
in 3-point shooting as the Gamecocks were 6-of-17 while Tech was
just 1-for-9.
The game included a "blizzard" following Tech's first basket of
the game (photo below), one of the highlights of the night for the
crowd of 2,424.
Tech is right back in action Saturday night hosting a red-hot
Southeast Missouri team at 7:30 p.m., the second game of an OVC
doubleheader. The women's game opens the night's action at 5:30
p.m.
For ticket information, please call (931) 3872-3940 or visit the
Athletics Ticket Office in Eblen Center. Gates will open at 4:30
p.m.
Tech is right back in action Saturday night hosting a red-hot
Southeast Missouri team at 7:30 p.m., the second game of an OVC
doubleheader. The women's game opens the night's action at 5:30
p.m.