BUZZER BEATER PUSHES JMU PAST VCU 62-61

Wednesday, January 2

Harrisonburg, Va.

7 p.m.

James Madison University

9-3, 2-0

VCU

8-4, 1-1

VCU

James Madison

1/2/2008 5:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va., Jan. 2, 2008 ? Sophomore guard Pierre Curtis (Denver, Colo./East) found junior forward Juwann James (Jacksonville, Fla./Raines) for a driving layup at the buzzer as James Madison topped Virginia Commonwealth 62-61 in a Colonial Athletic Association men's basketball contest Wednesday evening at the JMU Convocation Center.

JMU improved to 9-3 overall and stayed atop the CAA standings at 2-0 in the league. The Dukes are tied with Delaware and Old Dominion for first place. VCU dropped to 8-4 overall and 1-1 in the CAA while losing for the first time in six games.

With JMU trailing 59-58 with 58 seconds remaining, James hit a pair of free throws for a 60-59 Dukes lead after being fouled on a defensive rebound.

VCU junior guard Eric Maynor then missed a jumper with 28 seconds remaining, but he managed to corral the rebound while lying on his back and called for timeout. With a second possession, the Rams took the lead, 61-60, on a Jamal Shuler running jumper with 10 seconds left.

After a timeout, Curtis brought the ball up the court and drove the right side of the lane as the clock wound down. James darted to the basket from the right baseline and narrowly beat the buzzer with his running layup.

The Dukes were led offensively by junior guard Abdulai Jalloh's (District Heights, Md./National Christian Academy) 17 points. He also had a game-high six assists, five rebounds, two blocks, and three steals. Curtis contributed 11 points, four assists, and two steals, and James added 10 points and five boards.