MEN'S BASKETBALL DOWNS DELAWARE TO END SKID, 74-64

Monday, February 6

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4-17, 1-12

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6-16, 2-11

Delaware

James Madison

2/6/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va., Feb. 6, 2006 — Senior guard Daniel Freeman (Waynesboro, Va./Waynesboro) scored 22 of his season-high 24 points in the second half, leading James Madison back from an 11-point halftime deficit and to a 74-64 win against Delaware in Colonial Athletic Association men's basketball Monday night at the JMU Convocation Center.

The Dukes snapped a school-record 12-game losing streak and picked up their first conference win of the season, improving to 4-17 overall and 1-12 in CAA play. The record was set in the Dukes' last outing, 87-69 at Old Dominion two days ago. JMU's previous win was Dec. 29 in a 79-69 victory against Yale in Corpus Christi, Texas.

The Blue Hens, who handed the Dukes their seventh setback in the streak with a 95-68 final on Jan. 19, dropped their third in a row and fifth in six outings to fall to 6-16 overall and 2-11.

Delaware put on a three-point shooting display in the first half, scorching the net on 10 of 13 (76.9%) to stake a 41-30 halftime lead. Senior forward Harding Nana (Douala, Cameroon/Newport School, Md.) made good on five of six to account for the bulk of his 18 points in the first half. Junior Guard Calvin Cannon (Metuchan, N.J./St. Joseph's) was nearly as accurate, coming off the bench to pop in four treys in five tries for his 12 first-half points.

The Dukes opened the second half by scoring the first 12 points, half of which were contributed by Freeman. His driving layup through the lane with 13:36 showing gave the Dukes their first lead, 43-41, since 13:22 remained in the first half. It was also the Dukes' first lead after halftime on a CAA foe since Dec. 3 against Northeastern at home.

Delaware, which shot a combined 15-for-24 in the first 20 minutes, was held to 23 second-half points on 4-for-18 shooting and did not get its first bucket of the half until senior guard Rulon Washington (Jacksonville, Fla./Edward White) returned to the game for a three-pointer with 13:21 to play. Washington was poked in the eye in the first minute of the period and was forced from the game for nearly six minutes.

The teams exchanged the lead four times before Freeman hit two free throws to tie the game 51-51 at 7:44, and he put the Dukes ahead for good on a jumper at 6:52.

Freeman was 1-for 4 from both the field and the free throw line in the first half, but went 5-for-6 from the field and 9-for-12 at the charity stripe the final 20 minutes.

Once the Dukes claimed the lead for keeps, it was maintained at the line. At one stretch the Dukes hit 10 straight, six by senior guard Jomo Belfor (Mount Vernon, N.Y./Mount Vernon) and four by Fr