Game Story; JMU 64, American 62

Saturday, February 12

Washington, D.C.

TBA

James Madison University

(15-7, 9-3CAA)

American

(9-14, 4-8CAA)

JAMES MADISON

AMERICAN

2/12/2000 2:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

WASHINGTON, D.C. (2/12/2000) – Jamar Perry's two free throws with 1:43 remaining gave JMU the lead, and the Dukes held on to beat American 64-62 and gain a share of the Colonial Athletic Association lead. The win gave JMU a 9-3 CAA mark and allowed the Dukes to pull into a first-place league tie with idle George Mason.

Perry's free throws gave JMU a 63-62 edge, and both teams missed shots before the Dukes' Jabari Outtz hit on the second of two free throws with 10 seconds left for a 64-62 lead. American's Ron Hearns then missed on a three-point attempt and the Eagles' Keith Gray on a short jumper from the middle of the lane after American got the ball out of bounds with one second left following Hearns' missed three-point try.

After Perry's free throws, American's Patrick Doctor missed a shot with 1:10 left, and Outtz had a shot blocked out of bounds and missed on a another try seconds later. However, with 0:37 left Outtz rebounded his second miss off a deflection from Perry, and JMU held possession until he was fouled with 10 seconds to play.

JMU led 33-27 at halftime and 52-45 with 8:55 left, but American scored nine straight points to lead 54-52 with 7:07 remaining. There then were four ties before Jarian Childs put American in front 62-61 with a free throw with 2:01 to play. Childs' free throw was the only one of eight tries from the foul line that the Eagles converted on between the 3:54 and the 2:01 marks.

American became only the second JMU opponent in 43 games to shoot 50 percent from the field (26 of 51; 51.0 percent), but the Eagles shot only 45.0 percent (9-20) from the foul line and hit on only one of nine three-point tries.

JMU shot only 38.1 percent (24-63) but got boosts off the bench from Pat Mitchell, Kevan Johnson and David Fanning. Mitchell had a career-high 14 points and eight rebounds in a career-high 28 minutes; Johnson had eight points and six rebounds in 18 minutes; and Fanning had four assists in 21 minutes.

Outtz tied Mitchell for the JMU scoring lead with 14 points, and Perry had 13 points and five rebounds.

Doctor had 23 points and 11 rebounds and Gray 12 points and six blocked shots for American.