Game Story; West Virginia 83, JMU 70

Thursday, December 28

Morgantown, W.Va.

TBA

James Madison University

5-6

West Virginia

JAMES MADISON

WEST VIRGINIA

12/28/2000 11:07:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (12/28/2000) – Calvin Bowman had a season-high 27 points and 10 rebounds off the bench, and West Virginia pulled away during the second half to beat JMU 83-70.

The 6-foot-9 Bowman, who didn't start for the first time in nine 2000-01 Mountaineer games, hit on 11 of 15 shots. He had 15 points during the second period when West Virginia raised a 38-35 halftime lead to as much as 73-55, and he also blocked three shots in 26 minutes.

JMU stayed close during the first half by shooting 50 percent (12-24), including hitting on five of seven three-point tries. However, the Dukes hit on only 13 of 37 second-half shots (35.1 percent) and shot but 41.0 percent overall. JMU hit on only three of 15 three-point tries during the final half.

West Virginia became only the second of JMU's 2000-01 opponents to shoot 50 percent. The Mountaineers hit on 29 of 55 shots (52.7 percent) and were successful on 22 of 36 free throws. Rutgers on Dec. 2 in a 77-68 victory over the Dukes on its home floor had been the only other team to shoot better than 50 percent from the field against JMU at that point of the season (55.6 percent).

Chris Williams' three-pointer from near midcourt as the first half ended pulled JMU to within three points, but Bowman had nine of West Virginia's first 14 points of the final half and 13 of its first 21. The Mountaineer lead was 52-41 with 15:04 remaining and 63-46 with 8:48 to play.

JMU led on five occasions during the first half before West Virginia took a 29-21 lead with 6:11 remaining. Williams had five points and Tim Lyle four during a 9-4 JMU scoring run during the half's final 2:10 to get JMU to within 38-35.

David Fanning led four JMU players in double figures in scoring with 13 points, and the Dukes got 12 points from Lyle and Pat Mitchell and 11 from Dwayne Braxton. Mitchell had a team-leading eight rebounds, and Braxton, Fanning and Williams each had four assists for JMU.

JMU played without Mickey Dennis, who injured a foot at Boston University Dec. 21.

In addition to Bowman's double-figure scoring effort, West Virginia got 11 points each from guards Tim Lyles and Lionel Armstead. Lyles also had seven assists.