Game Story; West Virginia 74, JMU 57

Monday, November 24

Home

TBA

James Madison University

1-1

West Virginia

1-0

West Virginia

James Madison

11/24/2003 12:21:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va (11/24/2003) – West Virginia hit for five three-pointers while raising a two-point lead to 17 during a 2:32 period of the first half and went on to beat JMU 74-57.

West Virginia led 6-4 before Kevin Pittsnogle's three-pointer with 14:27 left in the first half began a 17-2 burst. Another Pittsnogle three-pointer at the 11:55 mark capped the run, and in between the Mountaineers got two three-pointers from Patrick Beilein and one from Drew Schifino.

Schifino finished the half with 14 points and was the game's top scorer with 27. West Virginia had seven three-pointers while taking a 40-22 halftime lead and nine overall.

JMU pulled to within nine points twice during the second half but never got closer. A Dwayne Broyles free throw with 5:10 left pulled JMU to within 59-50, but Schifino scored on a layup immediately after the missed second try to give West Virginia a 61-50 lead.

A Cavell Johnson field goal with 4:54 left and a Broyles free throw at the 4:31 mark got JMU to within 62-53, but West Virginia scored the next four points and JMU got only one more field goal.

JMU shot 27.8 percent (10-36) during the first half and 31.9 percent overall (22-69) after shooting 54.4 percent (31-57) during its season-opening win over Furman.

The Dukes had a 47-38 rebounding margin, but 6-foot-11 West Virginia center D'or Fischer blocked eight shots. Fischer had 14 points and six rebounds, and the Mountaineers also got 10 points each from Beilein and Tyler Relph, both of whom had two three-pointers.

Broyles was the only JMU player in double figures in scoring with 20 points. He also had team highs of nine rebounds and three assists. The Dukes' Chris Cathlin had a game-high 12 rebounds.

West Virginia shot 48.1 percent (25-52) overall and 45.0 percent from three-point range (9-20).