WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HOLDS OFF DELAWARE FOR 64-55 WIN

Sunday, February 24

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12:05 p.m.

James Madison University

19-7, 12-3

Delaware

7-20, 6-9

Delaware

James Madison

2/24/2008 5:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Game Statistics

HARRISONBURG, Va., Feb. 24, 2008 -- James Madison scored the game's last nine points to pull away from Delaware and post a 64-55 victory in Colonial Athletic Association women's basketball Sunday afternoon at the JMU Convocation Center.

JMU improved to 19-7 overall and 12-3 in conference play. Delaware is 7-20 overall and 6-9 in the CAA.

The regionally televised game was played in front of 4,738 fans. That was the second-largest crowd of the season and the seventh-largest in school history. It also boosted JMU's season attendance total to a school-record 30,010 with one regular-season game remaining.

Delaware had rallied from seven points down to tie the game at 55-55 with 4:11 to play.

However, the Blue Hens were 0-for-7 from the floor the rest of the way while JMU scored nine points on 3-for-4 shooting from the floor and 2-for-4 shooting at the foul line to clinch the win.

In those closing minutes JMU connected on three consecutive field-goal tries, starting with a three-point play on a layup powered in by redshirt junior forward Nina Uqdah (Lanham, Md./Riverdale Baptist) at 3:16. Freshman guard Courtney Hamner (Manassas, Va./Osbourn Park) then knocked down a three-pointer at 2:35, and Uqdah hit a short jumper at 1:56. That gave the Dukes what proved to be an insurmountable 63-55 lead.

The game was tied four times in the first half and was knotted at 16-16 with 7:27 on the clock. JMU ran off eight straight points, including two three-pointers by freshman guard Dawn Evans (Clarksville, Tenn./Northeast), to gain a 22-16 advantage at 4:55.

Delaware then outscored JMU 6-2 in the final 2:33 of the half and scored the first basket of the second half. That trimmed the Dukes' lead to 27-26 at 19:35.

Then five JMU players scored in a 10-4 run that gave the Dukes their largest lead at that point, 37-30 at 15:28. Evans ended the run with a three-pointer.

With the Dukes still ahead by seven, 43-36, at 11:13, Delaware got back-to-back three-pointers from freshm