JMU falls at Towson in women’s CAA opener

For only the third time in 31 meetings, Towson defeated James Madison as the Tigers posted a 65-58 win in the Colonial Athletic Association women’s basketball opener for both teams Sunday afternoon at the Towson Center.

The Dukes, who lost for the first time this season, have a 5-1 record.  Towson, whose only losses have come to Top 25 teams Maryland and Connecticut, has a 5-2 record.

“Towson outplayed us; they deserved to win,” said JMU Head Coach Kenny Brooks.  “We came out a little bit flat, and we never re-grouped.  They were quicker to the loose balls, and we never really had the energy we needed.  You can’t come on the road and play lackluster games like this.”

JMU junior guardTarik Hislop (Silver Spring, Md./Paint Branch) led all scorers with 14 points and also made three steals.  She was one of three Dukes to score in double figures, joined by redshirt senior forward Lauren Whitehurst (Chesapeake, Va./Indian River) with 12 and redshirt junior guard Jasmine Gill (Greensboro, N.C./Page) with 10.

Whitehurst and junior forward Nikki Newman (Harrisonburg, Va./Turner Ashby) led the Dukes with eight rebounds apiece.

Five Towson players scored in double figures and two finished with double-doubles. Krystal Parnell and Deree Fooks each scored 13, Tanisha McTiller and Krystin Fields scored 12 apiece and Nyree Williams finished with 11.  Williams also grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds, and Fooks had 13 rebounds.