Wells scores 29 in losing effort for Dukes
Staff Report
JMU sports: www.jmusports.com
Jeremy Green scored all of his 15 points during the second half as Stanford rallied for an 80-76 non-conference men’s basketball victory over turnover-plagued James Madison Tuesday.
JMU scored the game’s first nine points and was in front 36-34 at halftime before the host Cardinal led for much of the final period.
Green attempted only two shots during the opening period but hit for seven field goals, including a three-pointer, during the second half.
Green was among four Stanford players to reach double figures in scoring, and the Pacific 10 Conference Cardinal took advantage of 26 JMU turnovers and a 19-12 edge in offensive rebounding. Stanford collected 15 offensive rebounds during the second half and out-rebounded the Dukes 24-14 overall during the final period. JMU had had a 24-11 rebounding edge during the initial half.
Stanford went in front to stay 62-60 on a Green layup with 5:30 to play. The bucket started an 8-0 run that put the Cardinal up 68-60 with 2:38 remaining, and the lead was 75-66 with 35 seconds left before JMU sophomore forward Julius Wells (Toledo, Ohio/Libbey) hit on three field goals from three-point range during the final 28 seconds.
Wells’ final three-pointer came the buzzer, and the final score was as close as the Dukes were at any time during the game’s last four minutes.
Wells finished with a game-high 29 points, and junior forward Denzel Bowles (Virginia Beach, Va./Kempsville) had 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Dukes. Wells had five three-pointers, all during the second half, and scored 23 points after halftime. Bowles hit on eight of nine shots from the field and on six of six free throws. His scoring-rebounding “double-double” was his third straight. He has averaged 24.3 points and 11.0 rebounds in four JMU games beginning Dec. 12.
Stanford, behind nine points from Green, outscored JMU 20-11 to take a 54-45 lead with 10:42, but the Dukes rallied to tie the score at 58-58 and at 60-60 before the Cardinal’s decisive 8-0 burst.
Wells got the Dukes to within 54-48 and 56-52 on three-pointers at 10:30 and at 9:04, and two Bowles field goals and a Wells basket pulled JMU into the 58-58 tie.
A Green jumper gave Stanford the lead 60-58 at 6:57, and Bowles tied the score at 60-60 with 5:49 before Green put his team in front to stay.
JMU shot 51.9 percent overall (28-54) and 44.4 percent (8-18) from three-point range while Stanford shot 40.0 percent overall (28-70) and from three-point range (6-15).
Freshman guard Darren White (Danville, Va./Dan River) joined Wells and Bowles in double figures in scoring for JMU.
Landry Fields, who entered the game with a 23-point scoring average, had 24 points and nine rebounds for Stanford. He had 15 first-half points but only one field goal – a three-pointer – during the final half. He hit on five free throws during the final 24 seconds.
JMU returns to Colonial Athletic Association play Saturday (Jan. 2) in a 4 p.m. game at Northeastern. The Dukes will play at home for the first time during the new year Monday (Jan. 4) in a 7 p.m. game against league foe Delaware.
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