HARRISONBURG, Va. - Junior guard Daniel Freeman netted 22 points and senior Dwayne Broyles added 16 to lead James Madison to a 76-65 victory against visiting VMI in men's non-conference college basketball Monday night at the JMU Convocation Center.
JMU's three-game winning streak is the longest since winning three in a row late last February. The Dukes upped their overall record to 7-14. VMI, which is playing in its first season in the Big South, fell to 5-16.
Freshman guard Ray Barbosa connected for a pair of three-pointers in the first two minutes of the second half, the later giving the host Dukes the lead for good, 36-34. JMU, which had trailed 32-28 at intermission, built a 10-point margin over the next five minutes, only to have the Keydets charge back to get to within 53-50 with 8:50 remaining.
JMU stretched the margin back to double figures, 71-60 at 1:39, on Barbosa's third trey of the night. The Dukes shot 45 (9 of 20) percent from beyond the arc, led by Freeman's 4-for-5 performance.
VMI senior Radee Skipwith (Hershey, Pa./Hershey) led all players with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Freshman Matt Murrer (Richmond, Va./Benedictine) added 19 points for the Keydets. Senior guard Richard Little (Ft. Washington, Md./Oxon Hill) dished out 13 assists, two shy of tying the facility record.
JMU sophomore David Cooper chipped in 11 points and shared team-high rebounding honors with Broyles and freshman Cavell Johnson as each pulled in six.
The Dukes out-rebounded the Keydets 32-28 and committed just seven turnovers in the game. JMU also went 17 for 27 at the free throw line, while VMI was only eight of nine.
VMI returns home to face Big South foe UNC Asheville Wednesday night at 7:00 in Big South conference action.
(Story Courtesy JMU Sports Information)
COMMENTS:
VMI Coach Bart Bellairs: "We got in foul trouble in the second half, they made tough shots and we missed them. The difference was they shot 27 free throws and we shot nine. I'm not knocking the officiating, that's just the way JMU played, driving to the basket."
"Daniel Freeman really got hot at the time that JMU played hard. I was very proud of our guys, no one deserved to lose that one."
On Richard Little: "He's great and is what college athletics is all about. He has a great heart and is a great leader for us."
JMU Coach Sherman Dillard: "VMI came to play, they did a good job scouting us. We were lucky to win tonight. I was concerned of our readiness to play because of the emotional win the other night. We finally found a way to lock in on defense in the second half by going man-to-man."
