Game Story; Va. Commonwealth 66, JMU 63

Saturday, January 15

Richmond, Va.

TBA

James Madison University

VCU

JAMES MADISON

VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH

1/15/2000 1:55:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. (1/15/2000) – Bo Jones scored a game-high 23 points, including the first five during a 9-0 burst that gave Virginia Commonwealth control midway through the second half, to lead the host Rams to a 66-63 victory over JMU.

Jones hit on eight of 15 shots, including three of four from three-point range. He had a three-pointer with 12:56 to play and a two-point field goal with 12:28 left to start Virginia Commonwealth's decisive scoring run.

JMU trailed by six points during the first half but held the Rams scoreless for more than seven minutes while pulling into a 26-26 halftime tie and took four-point leads four times during the final period. Jones' consecutive field goals put VCU back in front, and Scott Lilly and Shawn Hampton added field goals to give the Rams a 48-43 lead with 10:21 remaining.

VCU's lead reached 58-49, but JMU had three chances to tie the score or go ahead during the final minute when the Rams hit on only one of six free throws. After VCU's LaMar Taylor missed two free throws with 59.9 seconds left and his team leading 65-63, JMU turned the ball over with 39.7 seconds to play. Taylor hit on one of two free throws at the 31.3-second mark, and JMU's Jabari Outtz missed on three-point tries at the four-second mark and at the final horn, the second after VCU's Reggie Okosa missed two free throws with 1.1 seconds left.

Outtz hit on two three-pointers during the final seven minutes and led the Dukes with 20 points. He had four three-pointers overall as did Tim Lyle, who finished with 16 points. Lyle hit on six of eight shots overall, including four of six three-point tries. However, JMU shot only 34.3 percent overall (24-70) and but 33.3 percent (9-27) from three-point range.

VCU shot 42.1 percent (24-57) overall and 53.3 percent (8-15) from three-point range.