JMU used a pair of 12-0 first-half runs and put four players in double figures to effort its way past Delaware 64-50 in a Colonial Athletic Association men’s basketball game Wednesday night at the Convocation Center.
JMU won its fourth straight home game and snapped a two-game skid to improve to 10-10 overall, 4-3 in the CAA. The victory was the 150th career triumph for head coach Matt Brady, who upped his career mark to 150-127 in nine seasons. UD dropped its third straight league contest to fall to 8-11 overall, 3-3 in the CAA.
Delaware entered the game leading the CAA in scoring (75 points/game) and field goal percentage (.482) in conference play but was held to 28.9 percent shooting by a JMU squad that has limited its last three opponents at home to a combined 30.8 percent from the field. The Dukes entered the night second in the league in scoring defense and field goal percentage defense in conference play.
Madison shot just 33 percent from the floor itself but held significant advantages in each of the “hustle categories,” including 48-32 in rebounds, 18-6 offensive rebounds, 13-4 points off turnovers, 15-2 on second-chance points, 17-2 on fastbreak points, 7-2 for steals and 17-8 on assists. The 48 total rebounds, 18 offensive rebounds and +16 rebounding margin were each JMU’s best marks since the first half of the 2010-11 season.
Senior guard A.J. Davis (Columbus, Ohio/Harmony Community School) led four Dukes in double figures with 16 points off the bench on 7-for-11 shooting. Senior forward Rayshawn Goins (Cleveland, Ohio/Glenville) had 15 points and 13 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season and 11th career, moving him to seventh for all-time double-doubles.
Senior guard Devon Moore (Columbus, Ohio/Northland) posted 10 points, eight rebounds and six assists while moving into third in JMU history in career minutes (3,606). Freshman guard Andre Nation (Plant City, Fla./Faith Baptist Christian) added 12 points, including 10 in the first half. Freshman guard Ron Curry (Pennsauken, N.J./Paul VI) contributed six assists along with four points, four boards and two steals while freshman forward Taylor Bessick (Philadelphia, Pa./Rise Academy) added nine rebounds, four points and two blocks.
Delaware was led by guard Devon Saddler with 16 points, six boards and three assists while guard Jarvis Threatt went 9-for-12 at the free throw line to finish with 12 points. Forward Jamelle Hagins, who last year dominated JMU with 23 points and 18 rebounds, was held to four points and four rebounds on Wednesday.
JMU took advantage of a pair of 12-0 runs in the first half, holding Delaware to one field goal for a span of more than 13 minutes, to take a 29-18 lead into the locker room. The Dukes shot just 30 percent in the opening frame but limited Delaware to 22.7 percent and led the Blue Hens in rebounds 26-15 for the half.
The Blue Hens briefly cut it to single digits with two Threatt free throws early in the second half but JMU responded with an 8-0 spurt to push the margin to 17, and Delaware never got closer to 13 thereafter.
UD did not convert its first three-point field goal until nine minutes remained in the game. JMU was close to a team record for field goal percentage defense (.214) with the Blue Hens shooting .220 with under three minutes to go and JMU leading 58-38. However, Delaware hit each of its last four attempts in the final minutes to raise the mark to .289.
JMU continues its stretch of five out of six league games at home with a 4 p.m. game on Saturday against Old Dominion with television coverage on Comcast SportsNet (Mid-Atlantic, Philadelphia, New England) and CSS (Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast).
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