JMU HOSTS APPALACHIAN STATE MONDAY IN MEN'S BASKETBALL

Monday, November 28

Home

TBA

James Madison University

2-1

Appalachian State

2-2

OT 1

OT 2

Appalachian State

James Madison

11/28/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va., Nov. 28, 2005 – The James Madison University men's basketball team plays its third of four straight season-opening home games tonight against Appalachian State. The Dukes began the season last Monday (Nov. 21) with a 73-66 loss to Big East Conference member Georgetown and defeated Virginia Military Institute 74-61 last Saturday (Nov. 26). JMU closes its home stand Saturday (Dec. 3) against Northeastern.

Tonight's visiting Mountaineers are members of the Southern Conference, and they've scored victories over JMU during each of the last three seasons. They won at JMU three years ago (83-76) and on their home court during each of the last two campaigns (58-55 in 2003-04 and 78-69 last season).

Appalachian State opened the season with home wins over Arkansas-Little Rock (75-65) and Virginia Commonwealth (51-47) before losing 91-78 last Friday (Nov. 25) at Atlantic Coast Conference member Wake Forest. The Mountaineers are coming off an 18-12 season a year ago, a campaign during which they won 10 of their final 13 games.

Scouting ASU

Appalachian State got a 26-point effort from D.J. Thompson in beating Arkansas-Little Rock and defeated Virginia Commonwealth with a strong second-half effort. Thompson had four three-point field goals and hit on 10 of 12 free throws against Arkansas-Little Rock, and the Mountaineers rallied from a 22-17 halftime deficit against Virginia Commonwealth.

Appalachian State started the second half with a 10-2 run after leading 36-34 at halftime against Arkansas-Little Rock. Against Virginia Commonwealth, the Mountaineers closed the game with a 9-2 scoring run after trailing 45-42. Jeremy Clayton's field goal off a rebound with 30 seconds left put Appalachian State up 49-47, and the visiting Rams missed on two free throws that could have tied the score with five seconds left.

Thompson also had a 24-point outing against Virginia Commonwealth, and a year ago he averaged 11.2 points and 4.4 assists per game and had 61 three-point field goals.

At Wake Forest, the Mountaineers fell behind 53-37 at halftime and shot only 38 percent (26-68) to the host's 57 percent (29-51). Thompson had 20 points, six assists, five rebounds and five three-point field goals.

Appalachian State has other returning starters in Nathan Cranford and Doug McLauglin-Williams. Cranford averaged 7.5 points and had 59 three-pointers last season, and McLaughlin-Williams averaged 3.9 points and had 21 three-pointers.

Upcoming Games

JMU is back at the JMU Convocation Center Saturday to face Northeastern. The game will be JMU's Colonial Athletic Association opener and the visiting Huskies' first CAA game. Northeastern and Georgia State are new CAA newcomers for 2005-06.

JMU also will play another CAA game -- Dec. 7 at Drexel -- during the pre-holiday portion of its schedule. The Dukes then will play 16 league games during January and February before competing in the March 3-6 CAA Tournament at the Richmond Coliseum.

JMU hosts La Salle in a 2 p.m. game Dec. 11 and plays at Youngstown