Final Stats
JACKSONVILLE – Junior Danielle Beneby scored a career-high 18 points but Murray State managed to pull away late for a 71-60 win over Jacksonville State on Saturday at Pete Mathews Coliseum.

The loss snapped a two-game winning streak as the Gamecocks fell to 8-17 overall and 5-10 in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Races ended a two-game losing skid, improving to 11-14 and 6-8 in the OVC.

Beneby led three Gamecocks in double figures with Zenobia Pitts and Danielle Vaughn following with 10 points each.

Kayla Vance scored 19 points, including four three pointers to pace the Murray State attack. Rachael Isom was the only other Racer in double figures with 13 points.

Jacksonville State faced an 11- point first half deficit after a Mallory Schwab bucket gave the Racers a 20-9 lead with 13:52 to play in the period.

The Gamecocks went on a 15-2 run to erase the deficit and take a 24-22 lead on a Beneby three with 7:28 remaining in the first half.

Candice Carmine, who collected a career-high 10 rebounds, made two free throws to tie the game 29-29 only to see Mallory Schwab connect on a three-pointer with 1:20 left to give MSU a 32-29 lead at halftime.

Brittany Wiley, who had a career-high eight assists and collected seven rebounds, made a layup on the end of a 9-0 run to give JSU a 43-39 lead with 14:50 left in the second half.

Murray State used a 6-0 run to take a 55-48 lead before Pitts hit a three to cut the deficit to 55-51 with 7:47 left in the contest.

The Racers collected five offensive rebounds on its next possession before Rachael Isom stepped to the free throw line and made two free throws that sparked an 11-2 run for 66-53 lead with 2:53 left in the contest. JSU never got any closer than nine points the rest of the way.

The Gamecocks made 41 percent of its field goal attempts while Murray State shot 36.4 percent from the floor and three-point range. JSU went seven-of-14 from the free throw line while Murray State was 11-of-12 for 93.3 percent.

Jacksonville State will hit the road for its final four games of the season, starting at Austin Peay on Thursday at 5:15 p.m. in Clarksville, Tenn., before battling Tennessee State on Saturday 3 p.m. in Nashville, Tenn.