JMU PULLS OUT 65-63 WIN OVER WILLIAM AND MARY

Wednesday, January 27

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7:00 p.m.

James Madison University

10-11, 3-7

William and Mary

14-6, 6-4

William and Mary

James Madison

1/28/2010 2:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va., Jan. 27, 2010 – Junior forward Denzel Bowles (Virginia Beach, Va./Kempsville) posted 21 points and eight rebounds, including seven key points down the stretch, as James Madison defeated William and Mary 65-63 in a Colonial Athletic Association men's basketball win Wednesday night at the Convocation Center.

JMU won its second in a row to improve to 10-11 overall and 3-7 in the CAA. W&M dropped to 14-6 overall and 6-4 in the league with its third straight setback.

In a tightly-played second half, JMU moved ahead 58-57 on a jump shot by Bowles with 5:11 left in the game. His three-point play exactly one minute later made it a 61-57 edge for the Dukes.

Quinn McDowell hit a three-point field goal on the next Tribe possession to cut the margin to one. Following a pair of free throws for Bowles, McDowell connected on another three, his fifth of the night, to tie the score at 63-63.

JMU, however, held W&M scoreless the rest of the way. Senior guard Pierre Curtis (Denver, Colo./East) hit a pair of free throws with 2:08 to go for a 65-63 lead.

The Tribe then missed each of its final six shot attempts, three by leading scorer David Schneider, including a three-point attempt from the left as time expired.

The Dukes had a chance to increase the lead prior to the final Schneider miss, but Curtis missed the front end of a bonus free-throw opportunity. It was just the fourth miss in 43 career attempts against W&M for Curtis.

Bowles, who matched his season average of 21.1 points per game, posted his seventh outing of 20 or more points in 13 games this season. He converted seven of his 13 field-goal attempts and went a season-best 7-for-7 at the charity stripe.

Sophomore forward Julius Wells (Toledo, Ohio/Libbey) added 15 points, seven rebounds, and two steals in 39 minutes for the Dukes. Curtis added eight points, f