JMU FALLS AT OHIO STATE IN MEN'S BASKETBALL OPENER

Thursday, November 12

Columbus, Ohio

7:00 p.m.

James Madison University

0-1

Ohio State

2-0

James Madison

Ohio State

11/13/2009 4:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 12, 2009 - Guard Evan Turner scored a game-high 24 points, including a three-pointer to help give his team control at the end of the first half, as Ohio State defeated James Madison 72-44 Thursday in the men's basketball 2K Sports Classic Benefitting Coaches Vs. Cancer.

JMU rallied from a 10-2 deficit to tie the score at 16-16 with 8:38 left in the first half and trailed only 31-25 during the period's final minute. Dukes freshman forward Trevon Flores (Harvey, La./Helen Cox) then failed to connect on a three-point field goal try, and Turner hit on a three-pointer at the 0:05 mark to give the host Buckeyes a 34-25 lead at halftime.

Ohio State opened the second half with a 10-3 scoring run to lead 44-28 and maintained at least a 12-point advantage the rest of the way.

The 16th-ranked Buckeyes improved to 2-0 while the game was JMU's 2009-10 season-opener.

Turner hit on 11 of 19 shots overall and had game highs of 17 rebounds and four assists.

Ohio State shot 45.5 percent (30-66) to JMU's 30.8 percent (16-52), had a 43-34 rebounding edge, and took advantage of 16 turnovers by the Dukes while committing only nine.

After falling behind 10-2 during the first four minutes, JMU received scoring from six players while pulling into the 16-16 tie. A three-pointer by senior forward Matt Parker (Charlotte, N.C./Statesville Christian) got the Dukes even after a three-pointer by freshman guard Darren White (Danville, Va./Dan River) had pulled JMU to within 12-11.

A three-pointer by sophomore forward Julius Wells (Toledo, Ohio/Libbey) pulled JMU to within 29-25 with 1:59 left in the half, but the Dukes didn't score during the remainder of the half and hit for only two field goals and three free throws during the opening nine minutes of the final half as Ohio State built a 54-32 lead.

Senior guard Pierre Curtis (Denver, Colo./East/Charis Prep) led JMU in scoring with nine points and in rebounds with eight.

JMU returns to action in the 2K Sports Classic Benefitting Coaches Vs. Cancer next Friday (Nov. 20) in the first of three games at Florida International University in Miami. JMU meets Murray State Friday, Florida International Sunday (Nov. 22) and North Carolina Central Monday (Nov. 23).