JMU Topped by No. 9 Virginia 79-51 in Season Opener

Friday, November 14

Harrisonburg, Va.

7 p.m.

James Madison University

0-1

#9 Virginia

1-0

Virginia

James Madison

11/14/2014 9:06:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Harrisonburg, Va. - Justin Anderson led three Cavaliers in double figures with 18 points and No. 9 Virginia shot 58 percent from the field to defeat James Madison 79-51 in front of a capacity crowd of 6,782 on Friday night at the JMU Convocation Center.

Freshman forward Hari Hall (Jacksonville, Fla./Jean-Ribault) led the Dukes with 15 points in his collegiate debut with four made 3-pointers. Sophomore guard Jackson Kent (High Point, N.C./High Point Christian) added 14 points for the Dukes. Freshman guard Joey McLean (Greensboro, N.C./High Point Christian) added eight points, four rebounds and four assists.

JMU had its first capacity crowd since a Dec. 3, 1994 win over Purdue in the Convo. It was the largest home crowd since 6,800 against Old Dominion on Jan. 25, 1997.

Anderson's game-high 18 points included 12 in the first half as the Cavaliers claimed a 51-33 lead at the break. He added six rebounds and went 4-for-5 from the arc. Forward Anthony Gill had 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting while Malcolm Brogdon had 14 points and four assists.

The Dukes hung around in the first half thanks to a 7-of-16 showing from the arc in the opening stanza. However, Madison shot 20 percent from the floor in the second half and 1-for-10 from downtown as the Cavaliers pulled away for the 28-point win.

Virginia started the game 10-for-11 from the field to grab a quick double-digit lead and shot 69 percent in the first half. The Cavaliers finished 58 percent on 29-for-50 shooting, including a decided advantage in the paint, outscoring the Dukes 38-27.

After Virginia jumped out to a 31-14 lead, a Kent 3-pointer helped spark a 13-6 run to pull JMU back within 10 points at 37-27. Hall played a major role in keeping the Dukes within striking distance in the first session, scoring all 15 of his points in the half while going 4-for-7 from the arc. Hall's 15 points were the most by a freshman in his JMU debut since Julius Wells had 21 against No. 21 Davidson in 2008.

The Cavaliers made it a 20-point game with their first basket of the second half. The Dukes stood as close as 17 points at 58-41 before Virginia reeled off 12 straight points to wrap up the decision.

JMU has a quick turnaround for its next home contest on Monday at 7 p.m. when it welcomes another in-state opponent in Radford.