Evans scores 32 to lead JMU to win over Longwood

  
Staff Report
JMU sports: www.jmusports.com

James Madison junior guard Dawn Evans (Clarksville, Tenn./Northeast) scored a game-high 32 points to lead the 25th-ranked Dukes to an 85-67 win over Longwood in women’s basketball Monday evening at the JMU Convocation Center.

JMU improved to 8-1 while Longwood dropped to 4-9.

Evans scored JMU’s first eight points, and her team never trailed. The Dukes held a double-digit lead for the last 9:26 of the first half and were ahead by 17, 45-28, at halftime. Longwood got no closer than 12 (54-42 at 15:54) in the second period.

Evans tallied her 11th career 30-point game, and she scored 30-plus points in her third consecutive game. She increased her career points total to 1,365 and moved into a tie for 10th place on JMU’s all-time scoring list.

Redshirt senior guard Sarah Williams (Wilmington, Del./Ursuline Academy) was the only other JMU player to score in double figures, finishing with 13 points.

JMU freshman guard Tarik Hislop (Silver Spring, Md./Paint Branch) was the game’s leading rebounder with a career-high eight.

Longwood was led by sophomore forward Brittanni Billups (Goldsboro, N.C./Eastern Wayne) with 17 points and seven rebounds. Also in double figures were sophomore guard Morgan Smith (Williamsport, Md./Williamsport) with 12, junior guard Krystal Garrison (Fredericksburg, Va./Courtland) with 11 and freshman guard/forward Chelsea Coward (Mechanicsville, Va./Hanover) with 10.

JMU shot 42.9 percent (27-63) from the floor while Longwood connected on only 33.3 percent (22-66) of its field-goal tries. The Dukes held a 49-33 rebounding advantage, and each team committed 18 turnovers.