DREXEL RALLIES TO BEAT JMU MEN 67-64

Saturday, February 27

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7:00 p.m.

James Madison University

12-19, 4-14

Drexel

16-15, 11-7

Drexel

James Madison

2/28/2010 3:47:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va., Feb. 27, 2010 - Samme Givens scored 19 of his game-high 21 points during the second half to lead Drexel to a come-from-behind 67-64 victory over James Madison in Colonial Athletic Association men's basketball at the JMU Convocation Center Saturday.

Givens, a 6-foot-5 sophomore forward, during the final period hit on five of eight shots from the field and nine of 11 free throws as the visiting Dragons rallied from a 30-22 deficit.

Drexel with the victory improved to 16-15 overall and to 11-7 in the CAA. JMU fell to 12-19 overall and to 4-14 in the conference. The teams will play again Friday (March 5) at 8:30 p.m. in the first round of the CAA Tournament at the Richmond (Va.) Coliseum. Drexel will be the tournament's No. 6 seed and JMU the No. 11 seed.

Givens also tied for the game-high rebounding honors with seven and helped Drexel dominate the boards by a 40-28 margin. The Dragons had 19 offensive rebounds and won while shooting 36.7percent (22-60) from the field overall and connecting on only two of seven shots from three-point range.

Givens pulled Drexel into a 61-61 tie with layup with 57.3 seconds to play, and the Dragons converted on six straight free throw attempts during the final 40.3 seconds.

Junior forward Denzel Bowles (Virginia Beach, Va./Kempsville) gave JMU a 62-61 lead with 47.7 seconds left by hitting the second of two free throws, but Chris Fouch put Drexel in front to stay 63-62 with two free throws with 40.3 seconds left.

Bowles missed on a field goal try on the following possession and immediately fouled Daryl McCoy, whose two free throws with 24.1 seconds left gave Drexel a 65-62 advantage.

Senior guard Pierre Curtis (Denver, Colo./East), who led JMU with 15 points in his final JMU home game, scored off a rebound of sophomore forward Julius Wells' (Toledo, Ohio/Libbey) missed three-point try with 12.7 seconds remaining to get the Dukes to within 65-64. However, Fouch hit on two more free throws with 10.8 seconds left, and Wells couldn't connect on a three-point try from the left side as time expired.

JMU led by as many as 12 points (30-18) during the opening half when it hit on 12 of 24 shots overall (50.0 percent) and six of 11 three-point attempts (54.5 percent). Drexel grabbed 11 offensive rebounds during the opening period, and Dukes' only points during the last 3:15 of the half came on a steal and breakaway dunk by junior guard Ben Louis (Melbourne, Australia/St. Francis Xavier). JMU didn't hit for its first field goal of the final half until 14:21 remained in the game.

Bowles' field goal at 14:21 gave JMU a 35-33 lead, and the Dukes led 41-36 on two Bowles free throws at 12:20, but Givens had a field goal and four free throws as Drexel pulled into a 44-44 tie with 8:33 left. The lead then changed hands six times, and neither team led by more than two points before Fouch's free throws with 40.3 seconds left put Drexel ahead to stay.

Givens hit on six of 12 shots overall and also had three steals in 24 minutes for Drexel. Jamie Harris with 10 points was the Dragons' only other double-figure scorer. Drexel had only seven turnovers, including only two during the final half.

Curtis led JMU with 15 points and three assists. He hit on five of nine shots an