DUKES BEAT S.C. STATE TO REACH CHARLESTON FINAL

Saturday, December 29

Charleston, S.C.

5 p.m.

James Madison University

8-2

South Carolina State

4-9

James Madison

S.C. State

12/29/2007 5:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

CHARLESTON, S.C. DEC. 29, 2007 ? Sophomore guard Pierre Curtis (Denver, Colo./East) scored 11 of his game-high 16 points during the final half as James Madison held off South Carolina State for an 84-75 victory in the first game of the Jim & 'Nick's Cougar Classic at the College of Charleston Saturday.

JMU shot 55.6 percent (15-27) while building a 16-point halftime lead and survived a second half during which it had only eight field goals. The Dukes did hit on 18 of 23 free throws during the second half and survived in a contest in which both teams had 25 turnovers.

The victory raised JMU's record to 8-2 and sends the Dukes into the tournament's championship game at 7:30 p.m. Sunday against host College of Charleston, an 84-74 winner over Mercer in Saturday's second game.

Sunday's championship game will be televised by regional cable affiliate Comcast Sports Southeast.

JMU's eight wins are the most the Dukes have had in any season since the 2002-03 season, and Sunday they will be attempting to secure their first tournament crown since winning a 2001-02 event at the University of Richmond.

South Carolina State fell to 4-9 and will play at 5 p.m. Sunday in the tournament consolation game.

Curtis had four of the Dukes' second-half field goals and hit on a pair of free throws with 4:08 left for a 78-68 JMU lead after South Carolina State had gotten to within eight points for the second time during the final period.

The Dukes then sealed the win with six straight successful free throw attempts by junior guard Abdulai Jalloh (District Heights, Md./National Christian Academy).