Game Story; UNC Wilmington 56, JMU 54

Saturday, February 3

Wilmington, N.C.

TBA

James Madison University

UNCW

JAMES MADISON

UNC WILMINGTON

2/3/2001 11:28:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

WILMINGTON, N.C. (2/3/2001) – North Carolina Wilmington's Brett Blizzard's hit on two free throws with 35.8 seconds remaining to lift the Seahawks to 56-54 victory over JMU after the Dukes rallied from a 15-point second-half deficit.

After trailing 25-18 at halftime and 37-22 with 14:14 left, JMU rallied to tie the score twice during the final two minutes before Blizzard gave UNCW the lead for good with the free throws.

JMU had a shot blocked and committed a turnover while failing to score after Blizzard's key free throws. UNCW's Ed Williams blocked Ian Caskill's short jumper from the right baseline out of bounds with 5.8 seconds to play, and the Dukes couldn't control the ball on the ensuing in-bounds play. The Seahawks grabbed the loose ball in the mid-court area and ran out the clock.

David Fanning had 11 second-half points and Caskill six points and eight rebounds during the final 20 minutes to lead JMU's rally. The Dukes, who began their surge with a 10-0 scoring run to get to within 37-32, pulled into a 52-52 tie on Fanning's two free throws with 1:53 left and into a 54-54 tie on Tim Lyle's layup with 53 seconds to play before Blizzard was fouled while driving to the basket on the next possession.

Blizzard led all scorers with 22 points, and Fanning finished with 11 points and Caskill with 10 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, a blocked shot and a steal off the bench. Caskill played a career-high 34 minutes and his 13 points and three assists were career highs, and JMU got nine points in 18 minutes off the bench from Ron Anderson.

JMU shot 40.4 percent (19-47) to UNCW's 30 percent (18-60), but the Seahawks had 21 offensive rebounds, including 19 during the first half. UNCW had a 43-39 rebounding edge overall. JMU also hit on but 15 of 27 free throws and on only one of nine three-point tries.

No JMU opponent had had a poorer game shooting mark against JMU since East Carolina shot 27.8 percent in an 86-48 Dukes' home victory in 1991-92.