Gamecocks down Golden Eagles in OVC opener, 83-62
December 29, 2012

Gamecocks down Golden Eagles in OVC opener, 83-62

Defense wins championships, or at the very least wins games at that is precisely what Jacksonville State proved against the Tennessee Tech men's basketball team in Saturday afternoon's Ohio Valley Conference opener.

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JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Defense wins championships, or at the very least wins games, and that is precisely what Jacksonville State proved against the Tennessee Tech men's basketball team in Saturday afternoon's Ohio Valley Conference opener.

The Gamecock defense lived up to its hype as the top scoring defense in the OVC, allowing just 62 points by the Golden Eagle offense. Heading into Saturday's match-up, Jax State came into the game allowing only 59.5 points per game.

Jacksonville State was led by junior guard Brian Williams, who scored both a team- and game-high 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Darion Rackley, Tarvin Gaines, and Ronnie Boggs all added double-digit scoring performances as well, with 16, 15, and 14 points, respectively.

Tennessee Tech struggled from the field, shooting just 37 percent in the contest. Tech produced a 25 percent mark from behind the 3-point arc.

Senior guard Jud Dillard led the scoring effort for the Golden Eagles, scoring 12 points while also pulling down a team-high eight rebounds. A transfer from SMU, junior guard Jeremiah Samarrippas chipped in 11 points while making three assists.

With the loss, Tech fell below the .500 mark for the first time this season, moving to 6-7 on the year. The Golden Eagles also wrapped up a grueling five-game road stretch spanning nearly three weeks.

TTU will resume conference play Thursday, Jan. 3, when the Golden Eagles welcome Tennessee State to the Eblen Center for a 7 p.m. CST contest.