MEN'S BASKETBALL FALLS 85-78 AT WILLIAM & MARY

Thursday, January 14

Williamsburg, Va.

7:00 p.m.

James Madison University

(8-8, 2-4CAA)

William and Mary

(13-3, 5-1CAA)

James Madison

William and Mary

1/15/2010 4:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., Jan. 14, 2010 - Quinn McDowell with 19 points led five William & Mary players in double figures in scoring, and the host Tribe held off James Madison during the second half for an 85-78 men's Colonial Athletic Association basketball victory Thursday.

After trailing 46-32 at halftime, JMU pulled to within four points less than five minutes into the final period and was within four again three times during the game's final 1:06 but could never get closer. William & Mary which shot 54 percent from the field for the game, hit on 10 of 13 free throws during the final 1:56 and got its last 10 points from the foul line.

The Tribe improved to 13-3 overall and to 5-1 in the CAA with the victory while JMU fell to 8-8 overall and to 2-4 in the conference.

McDowell hit on six of 11 shots from the field and had two of William & Mary's nine three-pointers in leading the Tribe's balanced attack. Eight William & Mary players scored, and the Tribe shot 53.7 percent (29-54) overall and 36.0 percent (9-25) from three-point range. Four William & Mary players had three-pointers and eight had assists.

Junior forward Denzel Bowles (Virginia Beach, Va./Kempsville) led JMU with 26 points, 13 rebounds and four assists. He hit on eight of 12 shots from the field and on 10 of 15 attempts from the foul line.

Senior guard Pierre Curtis (Denver, Colo./East) and freshman guard Darren White (Danville, Va./Dan River) each had 15 points and sophomore forward Julius Wells (Toledo, Ohio/Libbey) 12 points for the Dukes. Curtis had three three-pointers and Wells and White two each.

JMU shot 47.2 percent (25-53) overall from the field and 42.1 percent (8-19) from three-point range and had a 32-26 rebounding edge, but the Dukes turned the ball over 15 times.

White had eight points as JMU started the second half with a 14-4 scoring run to get to within 50-46 with 15:07 left to play. The Dukes trailed 55-51 and 57-53 before a 13-7 William & Mary burst during which McDowell and Sean McCurdy each had four points gave the Tribe a 70-60 advantage with 4:33 remaining.

William & Mary's lead reached 75-63 on a David Schneider three-pointer with 3:13 left, and each of the Tribe's remaining points came from the foul line.

JMU was down 78-67 when Wells hit on a three-point attempt with 1:39 to play, and a Wells layup at 1:12 following a missed William & Mary free throw got the Dukes to within 78-72. Two Curtis free throws at 1:06 pulled JMU to within 78-74, but William & Mary connected on two free throws during each of its next two possessions. Curtis got JMU to within four for a final time at 82-78 with two free throws with 23 seconds left, but the Dukes didn't score again.

William & Mary went from a 23-20 lead to a 46-32 edge during the final eight minutes of the opening half. The Tribe got first-half points from eight players, shot 59.4 percent (19-32) from the field, including hitting for six three-point field goals, and turned the ball over only once during the period.

Six players had points during William & Mary's 23-12 scoring run to close the first half, including post player JohnMark Ludwick, who had a pair of three-pointers off the bench.