JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – The Wofford College women's basketball team battled late into the contest until Jacksonville State broke open a run to earn a 70-55 win over the Terriers in Pete Matthews Coliseum on Tuesday night.
Jacksonville State (3-1) broke open a 13-0 run with 6:40 remaining in the second half to down the Terriers. Candace Morton, who netted five of her team second-best 14, led the charge. Morton drained a shot from downtown and put up a layup before assisting teammate Brianna Benson on another three, creating an insurmountable lead.
Wofford (1-3) showed fight throughout, leading by as much as five early on in the contest. The team was led by junior Jordan Frazier, who scored a team-high 18 points off the bench. Frazier played incredibly in the first half, sinking 11 of her 18 points – going 3-of-4 from beyond the arc and sinking a pair of free throws to help keep the team within three headed into the locker room.
Kentra Washington was the only other Terrier to net double-digit points. Washington scored 12, going 4-of-8 from the field and 2-of-6 from deep range. Sophomore Maria Corella (3-7 FG, 2-5 3-PT) dropped eight points for the Terriers, while senior Lauren Kirby (3-5 FG, 1-1 3-PT) and junior Chanel Stokes (2-5 FG, 3-5 FT) added seven each. Wofford shot 39 percent from the field and a season-best 39.1 percent from 3-point range, but couldn't keep up with Jacksonville State's red-hot offense.
Ashton Fleming led the Terriers in rebounds for the fourth straight game, grabbing seven boards in the contest.
Jacksonville State's preseason all-conference selections Destany McLin and Candace Morton showed why, dropping 10 and 14 points respectively on the Terriers. Brianna Benson had a coming out party of sorts, scoring a season-high 17. The sophomore shot 4-of-6 from 3-point range, while capitalizing from the free throw line, shooting 5-of-6.
The Gamecocks were lights out offensively in the second half, scoring 44 points on just under 61 percent shooting from the field.
Jacksonville proved too much on the boards, out rebounding Wofford 34-28. The Terriers struggled to maintain possession as well, turning the ball over 27 times, resulting in 36 of Jacksonville State's points.
The Terriers began the game with a bang, as Washington pulled up and sunk a 3-pointer to open scoring at the 19:34 mark. Both sides traded buckets, with the Terriers taking a 8-6 lead into the first media timeout. Frazier hit another three the play afterward to give Wofford a five-point lead. Jacksonville State pulled back in once again, when a pair of Ashton Fleming free throws would put Wofford ahead, 13-11, with just over 13 minutes left in the first half. Jacksonville State then made a seven-point swing over the next six minutes, pulling ahead 18-13.
Kirby put a stop to the run with jumpers on consecutive drives to draw the game closer, before a Frazier three sent the sides into the locker rooms with little to separate the two sides – Jacksonville State leading 26-23.
Both teams came out of the locker room feeling their shots, but the Gamecocks had more opportunities and converted more frequently on them. The game was within five points before the 13-0 run to put the game out of reach.
The women's basketball team heads back to Spartanburg for the Thanksgiving holiday before hosting Big South opponent Gardner-Webb on Saturday. The Terriers and Runnin' Bulldogs tip at 2 p.m. in the Benjamin Johnson Arena.
