JMU CLOSES CALENDAR YEAR WITH MEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT VICTORY

Saturday, December 30

Orlando, Fla.

5 p.m.

James Madison University

3-8

New Jersey Institute of Technology

2-11

James Madison

New Jersey Tech

JMU CLOSES CALENDAR YEAR WITH MEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT VICTORY

12/30/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 30, 2006 - Junior forward Terrance Carter (District Heights, Md./Largo) scored a career-high 23 points, and sophomore guard Joe Posey (Colonial Beach, Va./Notre Dame Academy) had a key rebound and three free throws during the final 14 seconds as James Madison University's men's basketball team held on to beat New Jersey Institute of Technology 70-66 Saturday in the consolation game of the UCF Holiday Classic.

Carter also had 10 rebounds to post his second JMU scoring-rebounding "double-double" as the Dukes snapped a six-game losing streak and raised their season record to 3-8.

NJIT fell to 2-11 with the loss.

The Highlanders cut 12-point halftime deficit to 65-64 with 1:35 left in the game but didn't get another field goal. JMU freshman guard Pierre Curtis (Denver, Colo./East) had a basket with 41 seconds left for a 67-64 Dukes lead after rebounding his own miss earlier during the possession, and Posey's free throws sealed JMU's victory.

NJIT's Kraig Peters hit on two of three foul shots with 14 seconds left after being fouled on a three-point attempt, but Posey rebounded the missed third try and hit on his second free throw attempt for a 68-66 Dukes margin. The Highlanders' Clayton Barker then missed on a three-point shot from the corner, and Posey hit on a pair of free throws with 2.1 seconds left. Posey was fouled on the in-bounds play after the rebound on Barker's three-point try went out of bounds off an NJIT player.

JMU broke away from a 16-16 tie with an 11-0 burst for a 27-16 advantage with 6:17 left in the first half and led 37-22 before settling for a 37-27 halftime edge.

NJIT pulled to within 50-46 with 12:50 to play, but JMU ran the advantage to 59-48 with 9:24 to play before getting only three more field goals. The Dukes did hit on 15 of 21 foul shots during the final half.

JMU also hit on eight of 15 three-point attempts for the game and on 45.7 percent (21-46) of its shots overall. The three-point mark was the Dukes' best in nine games and the overall shooting figure their best in seven outings.

Carter, whose previous JMU scoring high was 14 points, led four Dukes in double figures in scoring. Sophomore forward Juwann James (Jacksonville, Fla./Raines) had his 11th straight double-figure outing of the season and 15th straight overall with 14 points; Posey finished with 14 points, including three-of-four shooting from three-point range; and Curtis had 13 points and a career-high 11 assists.

Curtis had 12 points in JMU's first-round game with Texas-Pan American and represented the Dukes on the all-tournament team.

Carter hit on each of three attempts for three-point range and on eight of 10 free throws.

Peters, a 6-foot-5 swingman, led NJIT with 20 points, and Barker added 12 for the Highlanders, who shot 51.6 percent (16-31) during the second half and 48.0 percent (24-50) overall. NJIT hit on seven of 15 three-point tries.

JMU returns to action Wednesday (Jan. 3) to host Delaware and start one of the more-hectic portions of its schedule.