JMU responds to ODU, VCU moves
Statement from James Madison University On athletic conference affiliation:
In recent days, the Colonial Athletic Association has been notified of the departure of two member institutions. Both Virginia Commonwealth University and Old Dominion University have made decisions to join other conferences. Read more
ODU to join Conference USA
Old Dominion University President John R. Broderick announced today that the institution’s athletic programs have entered into a membership agreement with Conference USA, and will seek reclassification of its football program from the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision to the Football Bowl Subdivision, effective July 1, 2013.
“We are very proud today to announce a bold step forward for Old Dominion University to a well respected, established and successful conference. The future for ODU athletics is bright with Conference USA and full of opportunities for new levels of excellence,” said Old Dominion University President John R. Broderick, who participated in a press conference today to formally announce the athletic program’s new league affiliation. Read more
JMU breaks home losing streak
Senior first baseman Evan Scott (Haymarket, Va./Battlefield) and sophomore third baseman Conner Brown (Richmond, Va./Godwin) paced a James Madison offense that scored 12 unanswered runs in the middle innings to top Northeasetern 14-6 in the opening game of a Colonial Athletic Association series on Friday night at Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park.
JMU snapped a 10-game losing streak at home and won for just the second time overall since March 4. The Dukes improved to 7-22-1 overall and 2-11 in the CAA while topping Northeastern for the eighth time in the last nine matchups with Northeastern. NU dropped to 12-12 overall and 3-7 in the league. Read more
JMU women knock off UVa., head to WNIT semis
James Madison outscored Virginia 41-26 in the second half en route to a 68-59 win in National Women’s Invitation Tournament quarterfinal-round basketball action Sunday afternoon at the JMU Convocation Center.
JMU, 28-7, advances to a 7 p.m. home March 28 semifinal game against Syracuse, a 74-73 overtime winner over Toledo on Saturday. Virginia completed its season with a 25-11 record. Read more
JMU baseball loses … again
Designated hitter Joey Wood’s two-out single in the bottom of the ninth scored Brandon Williams with the game-winning run as Georgia State topped James Madison 9-8 in the opening game of a Colonial Athletic Association baseball series on Friday night at the GSU Baseball Complex.
GSU improved to 10-13 overall and 3-1 in the CAA. JMU dropped its 11th contest in a row to fall to 5-16-1 overall, 0-7 in the CAA and 0-6 on the road. Read more
JMU women dominate South Florida
James Madison held South Florida to 12 first-half points and went on to beat the Bulls 72-45 in National Women’s Invitation Tournament round of 16 basketball action Friday night at the JMU Convocation Center.
JMU now hosts Virginia Sunday, March 25, in a quarterfinal-round game at 2 p.m. at the JMU Convocation Center.
The JMU Athletics Ticket Office will be open from 1 -5 p.m. on Saturday, March 24. The ticket office can be reached by phone at 540-JMU-Duke (568-3853) or by visiting JMUSports.com and clicking on TICKETS. Read more
JMU women top Wake Forest in OT in WNIT
James Madison outscored Wake Forest 14-6 in overtime to post an 84-76 come-from-behind win in National Women’s Invitation Tournament second-round basketball action Sunday afternoon at the JMU Convocation Center.
JMU advances to a round of 16 game against South Florida, to be played Friday, March 23, at JMU (7 p.m.)
The Dukes improved to 26-7 while Wake Forest finished its season with a 20-14 record.
Wake led by as many as 17 points in the opening half, and it took a 3-pointer by JMU junior forward Nikki Newman (Harrisonburg, Va./Turner Ashby) with 6.6 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 70 and force overtime.
Freshman forward Toia Giggetts (Norfolk, Va./Lake Taylor) scored six of JMU’s 14 overtime points when she personally outscored Wake 6-2 in a span of 1:01. Her 16-foot jumper with 1:38 to play put the Dukes up 78-76, and following a Wake Forest turnover she drove for a layup at 1:09 for an 80-76 JMU lead. Wake missed three field-goal tries in the final 32 seconds, while junior guard Tarik Hislop (Silver Spring, Md./Paint Branch) and sophomore guard Kirby Burkholder (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) each converted two foul shots to ice the game.
Burkholder scored a career-high 26 points and was 10-for-10 at the foul line. She hit four 3-pointers and twice was foul on 3-point attempts and converted all six of those free throws. Redshirt senior forward Lauren Whitehurst (Chesapeake, Va./Indian River) added 17 points, and Hislop scored 13. Giggetts hit 3-of-4 from the field and 5-of-8 from the foul line for 11 points.
Newman led JMU in rebounds with nine and Whitehurst had eight.
Wake junior center Sandra Garcia (Miami, Fla./Plantation American Heritage) came off the bench to lead the Demon Deacons with 19 points, and senior forward Secily Ray (Thomasville, N.C./Thomasville) added 17 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Junior guard Lakevia Boykin (Raleigh, N.C./Southeast Raleigh) scored 10 points.
