Gamecocks take down Bellarmine, earn sole possession of ASUN West

Thomas Ashworth, Sports Editor

On Monday evening, the Gamecocks extended their winning streak to eight games as they took sole possession of first place in the ASUN West with a 65-60 win over the Bellarmine Knights. 

With the win, JSU advances to a 13-6 overall record and an undefeated 6-0 in conference play. The Gamecocks are 9-1 in their last ten games, with their loss being a close battle with then No. 6 Alabama.

In a hard fought battle with many lead shifts and the Gamecocks down at the half, the Gamecocks prevailed in more stats than points scored. JSU led the Knights in FG%, as the Gamecocks shot 43.1% compared to Bellarmine’s 33.3%. JSU also had more rebounds (39) than Bellarmine (36), although boat teams had 13 assists.

Kayne Henry led the team with a career-best 24 points on the night, while also posting eight rebounds and two blocks. Brandon Huffman posted 12 points of his own to go along with three rebounds and a block. 

After the win, JSU still has two players ranked in the top 15 in NCAA for three-point field-goal percentage. Demaree King is ranked third, shooting 49.18% while Jalen Gibbs is ranked 15th, shooting 44.92%.

The Gamecocks will try to remain undefeated as they travel to Kennesaw State on Thursday, Jan. 27 at 6:30 p.m. to take on the Owls, who are second in the ASUN East at 4-1 in conference play.