JMU withstands second-half Towson charge
Staff Report
JMU sports: www.jmusports.com
Ben Louis’ (Melbourne, Australia/St. Francis Xavier) three-point field goal with 1.5 seconds to play gave James Madison a 69-66 men’s Colonial Athletic Association basketball victory over Towson at the JMU Convocation Center Saturday afternoon.
Louis’ game-winning shot came after the visiting Tigers had rallied from a 14-point second half deficit to lead on four occasions during the final six minutes. The junior guard took a pass from senior point guard Pierre Curtis (Denver, Colo./East) and scored from the right corner, and Towson got off only a desperation attempt at a final field goal.
JMU improved to 8-7 overall and to 2-3 in the CAA with the victory while Towson fell to 3-11 overall and to 0-5 in the CAA with its sixth straight loss.
JMU, which led 41-29 early during the second half and 54-40 with 11:53 to play, tied the score for the final time at 66-66 on a dunk by junior forward Denzel Bowles (Virginia Beach, Va./Kempsville) with 1:36 left. Towson then missed on a pair of shots – the second as the shot clock expired with 27.6 seconds to play – and JMU took possession.
With fouls to give without putting the host Dukes into a one-and-one free throw shooting situation, the Towson fouled with 13.1 seconds left. However, on the ensuing series, Curtis got by a defender near the top of the key and found Louis for his second three-pointer of the game. Louis also had scored on a three-point field goal from the right corner to give JMU a 34-29 lead as the opening half ended.
Louis was among four JMU players in double figures in scoring, finishing with 10 points on four-of-eight shooting.
Sophomore forward Julius Wells (Toledo, Ohio/Libbey) had 23 points, including 15 from three-point range, to lead the Dukes. Bowles added 21 points, eight rebounds and six blocked shots, and freshman guard Darren White (Danville, Va./Dan River) had 10 points.
Towson had three double-figure scorers, including junior forward Robert Nwankwo (Upper Marlboro, Md.) with 15 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, junior forward Jarrel Smith (Van Nuys, Calif.) with 13 points, and senior forward Lee Calvin (Ettrick, Va.) with 12 points.
Towson shot 43.3 percent (29-67) to JMU’s 41.5 percent (27-65). The Tigers hit on 17 of 33 shots (51.5 percent) during the second half and out-rebounded JMU 46-30 overall.
JMU returns to action Thursday (Jan. 14) in a 7 p.m. regionally televised game at William & Mary.
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