Ronnie Boggs and Tarvin Gaines netted 15 points apiece as Jacksonville State rolled to its first 3-0 start since jumping to Division I prior to the 1995-96 season with a 79-61 win over Alabama A&M Thursday night.
The Gamecocks trailed early, and didn't take their first lead until Chris Deanes made a layup to put them up 20-18 with 8:48 left in the first half. Jacksonville State maintained that lead the rest of the way, with Deanes' bucket coming amid a 14-2 run that put the Gamecocks up 30-20 in the nonconference game.
Alabama A&M (1-2) shot 36.8 percent (25 of 68) from the field compared to Jacksonville State's 50.9 percent (29 of 57), and the Gamecocks finished with a 44-33 rebounding advantage.
The Bulldogs' Demarquelle Tabb tied a season high with 18 points and pulled down 14 rebounds for his second double-double in three games.
