DUKES FALL TO YOUNGSTOWN STATE IN MEN'S BASKETBALL

Tuesday, December 19

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7 p.m.

James Madison University

2-7

Youngstown State

5-7

Youngstown State

James Madison

12/19/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va., Dec. 19, 2006 - John Barber scored six points during a 12-2 second-half burst that gave Youngstown State control, and the Penguins went on to beat James Madison 78-58 in men's non-conference college basketball Tuesday night at JMU Convocation Center.

JMU cut an 11-point deficit to 45-40 with 17:51 left in the game, but the 12-2 run, with Barber hitting for six of its first eight points, allowed Youngstown State raise its margin 57-42. JMU got back to within 10 points at 57-47 with 13:04 left and at 60-50 with 9:01 remaining but never was closer again.

Youngstown State improved to 5-7 with the victory, and JMU fell to 2-7.

Barber had 11 second-half points and 13 overall and was among three Penguins in double figures in scoring. He scored on a 15-foot jumper for a 47-40 Youngstown State lead and had back-to-back perimeter jumpers following a Keston Roberts fastbreak layup to give the Penguins a 53-42 edge with 16:00 left.

Byron Davis scored on a driving layup and Roberts on another fastbreak opportunity for Youngstown State's 57-42 advantage.

The Penguins, who hit on 15 of 27 second-half field goal attempts, shot 51.8 percent (29-56) overall and 44.4 percent (8-18) from three-point range.

JMU, which trailed 41-32 at halftime, shot only 33.3 percent (9-27) during the second half after hitting on 12 of 27 shots (44.4 percent) during the opening period.

Roberts had 18 of his game-high 27 points during the opening half for Youngstown State and hit on 11 of 18 shots overall. The Penguins went in front to stay just more than three minutes into the contest and led by as many as 10 points (39-29) during the first half.

The Youngstown State lead was 45-35 on a Barber 15-footer with 18:11 left in the game before JMU got to within five points on a sophomore guard Colbey Santos (East Wareham, Mass./Tabor Academy) three-pointer at 18:02 and two free throws by junior center Gabriel Chami (Cordoba, Argentina/New Hampton) with 17:51 to play.

Sophomore guard Joe Posey (Colonial Beach, Va./Notre Dame Academy) led three JMU players in double figures in scoring with 16 points, including four three-point field goals. Sophomore forward Juwann James (Jacksonville, Fla./Raines) added 13 points and five rebounds and freshman guard Pierre Curtis (Denver, Colo./East) 11 points.

JMU is idle for the holidays until meeting Texas-Pan American Dec. 29 at 5 p.m. in the first game of Central Florida's Holiday Classic in Orlando, Fla.