Game Story; UNC Wilmington 73, JMU 58

Wednesday, January 15

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UNC Wilmington

James Madison

1/15/2003 2:50:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va. (1/15/2002) – Craig Callahan scored a career-high 34 points, and North Carolina Wilmington broke the game open with a 22-3 scoring burst to end the first half in a 73-58 win at JMU. Callahan hit on 12 of 20 shots and had 11 rebounds while easily surpassing his previous career scoring best of 24 points.

The Seahawks led only 24-22 after 13 minutes before Callahan ignited the 22-3 scoring run with seven straight points. He hit on an 18-footer with 7:12 left in the first half, scored off a rebound at the 6:14 mark, and had a three-point play with 5:03 left for a 31-22 UNC Wilmington lead.

After a Dwayne Broyles field goal at the 4:44 mark, JMU's only field goal of the final eight minutes of the opening half, the Seahawks' Brett Blizzard had seven straight points for a 38-24 UNC Wilmington advantage with 3:07 left in the half. Callahan had four more points and Blizzard two before the half ended with UNC Wilmington leading 46-25. The Seahawks' halftime scoring total was the best by a 2002-03 JMU opponent to that point of the season and the Dukes' total their worst.

JMU got to within 48-34 with 14:33 to play after two free throws by David Fanning and four times was within 12 points, the final at 67-55 with 2:16 left, but never was closer.

Blizzard and Tim Burnette added 14 points each for UNC Wilmington, which shot 48 percent (27-56) to JMU's season-low 33 percent (17-52). Burnette also had six rebounds and Blizzard five as the Seahawks controlled the boards by a 38-29 margin. UNC Wilmington hit on 15 of 17 free throws while JMU converted on only 19 of 31 attempts.

Fanning had 18 points, Broyles a season-high 17 and Kenny Whitehead 10 for the Dukes.

Fanning kept JMU in the game during the opening minutes by scoring 13 of JMU's first 19 points, including nine on three-point field goals. His driving 10-footer gave JMU its first lead at 16-14, and his three-pointer at the 11:00 mark put the Dukes in front 19-18. However, Blizzard hit on a three-pointer for a 21-19 UNC Wilmington edge, and Burnette's three-pointer with 7:59 left in the half put the Seahawks in front to stay, 24-21.