Game Story; JMU 78, Furman 72

Saturday, November 22

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Furman

James Madison

11/22/2003 12:16:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va. (11/22/2003) – Ray Barbosa scored 19 of his team-high 28 points during the opening 20 minutes, staking JMU to a 12-point halftime lead, and the Dukes held off Furman for a 78-72 win in the season-opener for both teams.

Barbosa's effort helped offset a career night for Furman's Maleye Ndoye, who had in a career-high 32 points. Ndoye kept his team within striking distance by hitting on 14 of 18 free throws, and he went 8-of-16 from the floor, including hitting on two three-pointers.

The Dukes trailed 10-9 before Barbosa's first college field goal gave them an 11-10 lead and sparked a 25-7 JMU scoring run. Three straight Barbosa field goals gave the Dukes a 20-12 lead, and later during the run the CAA player of the week scored 11 straight JMU points, including nine on three-point field goals as JMU took a 34-17 lead with 3:24 left in the first half.

After trailing 38-26 at halftime, Furman pulled to within 68-65 on two Tony Carter free throws with 2:35 left, but Dwayne Broyles had two field goals during a 7-1 scoring burst that gave JMU a 75-66 lead with 1:06 to play.

Barbosa's scoring effort was the best by a JMU freshman in his first college game during JMU's 28-year Division I history.

Ndoye scored the Paladins' last seven points to get the visitors to within 38-26 at the break. He continued to carry his team as the second half got underway, scoring Furman's first six.

JMU maintained an eight-to-13-point lead over the next 10 minutes. Ndoye's final charge came by way of two free throws and his final field goal, and was followed by back-to-back jumpers by Tony Carter. The surge got the Paladins to within 64-60 with 4:54 remaining. Carter's two free throws got his squad to within 68-65 with 2:35 to go, but the Southern Conference members got no closer.

While a freshman sparked the Dukes, it was the upperclassmen who secured the victory during the closing moments. Broyles scored while being fouled to push the Dukes to a 71-65 lead at the 1:48 mark. After a Furman free throw, Daniel Freeman followed with a slicing layup. Broyles made it 75-66 with a layup on a touch pass by Chris Williams.

Carter scored half of his points during the final 16 seconds on a pair of three-pointers, but a Williams free throw, that made it a three-possession game, and a layup by Barbosa ended the threat.

Barbosa hit on 11 of 15 shots and was a major contributor to the Dukes' 54.4 percent (31-57) shooting for the game. JMU also hit on 53.8 percent (7-13) of its three-point tries.

Broyles finished with 14 points and five rebounds, and Williams had 13 points and seven assists. The Dukes, who tied the Paladins on the boards at 36, were led by David Cooper's seven rebounds while Eddie Greene-Long grabbed six.