Evans’ 30 leads JMU to CAA road win

 
Staff Report
JMU sports: www.jmusports.com

Junior guard Dawn Evans (Clarksville, Tenn./Northeast) scored 30 points and hit a school-record nine three pointers to lead James Madison (5-2, 15-3) to a 67-61 win at Georgia State (2-5, 11-7) in Colonial Athletic Association women’s basketball Sunday afternoon at the GSU Sports Arena.

Evans scored 20 of her points in the first 10:54 of the second half, when JMU outscored the Panthers 31-15 to take its largest lead of the game, 58-45, at 9:06. Evans, who hit three threes in the first half, knocked down six threes in that run. The Dukes started the half trailing by three, 30-27.

The Panthers were able to close the margin to five (62-67 at 1:19) but could get no closer.

Evans, who recorded her 14th career game with 30 or more points, was joined in double figures by redshirt senior guard Sarah Williams (Wilmington, Del./Ursuline Academy) with 16 and junior center Lauren Jimenez (North Bergen, N.J./North Bergen) with 10. Williams and Jimenez each finished with seven rebounds, a team high.

Georgia State was led in scoring by senior forward Danyiell McKeller (Fayetteville, N./C./Westover) with 18 points. Senior guard Brittany Graham (Boulder, Colo./Boulder) added 12, all of which came on three-pointers. Senior forward/center Shay Rawls (Augusta, Ga./Cross Creek) scored 10 and grabbed a game-high 12 points.

Evans’ nine three-pointers broke her own JMU record of seven and also broke the GSU Sports Arena women’s record of eight, held by Lina Noufina of GSU (set against Stetson, 2/14/02). She also tied the overall GSU Sports Arena record of nine, held by Kevin Morris (GSU class of ’91). Her game total was one short of the CAA record of 10.

As a team the Dukes hit 12 threes, which tied the school record, set in a home game against George Mason (2/15/07).

Evans also tied two school records. She recorded her 49th consecutive double-figure scoring game, tying Tamera Young’s record, set from 2006-07 through 2007-08. She also hit a three-pointer in her 25th game in a row, which tied her own record set from 2007-08 through 2008-09.