HOFSTRA BEATS JMU 55-54 IN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Thursday, January 20

Hempstead, N.Y.

James Madison University

9-6, 2-4

Hofstra

8-7, 3-3

James Madison

Hofstra

1/21/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

HOFSTRA BEATS JMU 55-54 IN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Freshman Tamera Young had a team-leading 15 points at Hofstra

Game StatisticsHEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (1/20/05) -- Senior guard Charlotte Baldrey-Chourio (Surrey, England) hit two foul shots with 21 seconds left to give the Hofstra women's basketball team a 55-54 win over James Madison Thursday.

With the win, Hofstra improved to 8-7 overall and 3-3 in the Colonial Athletic Association. JMU slipped to 9-6 overall and 2-4 in the CAA.

Hofstra led nearly the entire second half and took its largest lead of the game at 49-37 on a three-pointer from freshman guard Jenna McSpadden (Austin, Texas) with 7:03 left in the game. After an exchange of baskets made the score 51-39, JMU went on a 12-0 run to tie the score at 51-51 with 2:38 left and then took its first lead of the second half at 54-53 on a three-pointer by senior guard Mary Beth Culbertson (Havertown, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) with 1:14 to play.

Baldrey-Chourio then stepped to the line and hit two clutch free throws to give Hofstra the lead, and the Dukes, who were out of timeouts, turned the ball over in the closing seconds, enabling the Pride to hold on for the win.

Hofstra got on the board first in the contest as sophomore forward Lizanne Murphy (Beaconfield, Quebec) tallied the game's first bucket at the 19:52 mark of the first half. Hofstra went on to lead almost the entire half, including opening up as much as a eight-point advantage on a jumper from sophomore center Vanessa Gidden (Stamford, Conn.) at the 8:56 mark. The Dukes slowly fought way back and took a lead when sophomore guard Shirley McCall (Collinsville, Va./Bassett) scored with 1:34 left in the half to give JMU a 23-21 advantage. The teams went to the break tied as Gidden' sixth basket of the first half knotted the score at 23.

Hofstra was led by Gidden and Murphy, who each had scoring-reboundng double-doubles. Gidden had 21 points and 11 rebounds and Murphy 14 points and 11 rebounds for her CAA-leading eighth double-double of the season. The Pride played without leading scorer Cigi McCollin (Long Island City, N.Y.), who did not dress due to injury.

JMU placed three players in double figures in scoring and was led by freshman guard Tamera Young's (Wilmington, N.C./Laney) 15 points. Also in double figures for the Dukes were sophomore guard Lesley Dickinson (Queen's Village, N.Y./Christ the King) and senior center Krystal Brooks (Brownsville, Pa./Brownsville) with 11 and 10 point, respectively. Young and Brooks tied for team-high honors with seven rebounds.

JMU hosts North Carolina Wilmington in a 2 p.m. Sunday game at the JMU Convocation Center.