Curry, Dukes Storm Back for 69-63 Road Win at Hofstra

Saturday, January 24

Hempstead, N.Y.

4 p.m.

James Madison University

Hofstra

1/24/2015 6:24:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – Junior guard Ron Curry (Pennsauken, N.J./Paul VI) had a career day as the James Madison men's basketball team stormed back in the second half to rally past Hofstra for a 69-63 victory Saturday afternoon in Colonial Athletic Association play at the Mack Sports Complex.

Curry finished with a career-high 25 points on 6-of-13 shooting, including 3-of-6 from long range. He made it to the free throw line 13 times, where he converted 10 times, while also tallying six rebounds and three steals in the win.

The Dukes (12-9 overall, 5-3 CAA) limited the league's top scoring offense to just 24.2 percent shooting (8-of-33) in the second half, allowing just 18 points in the frame. After giving up eight treys in the first half, JMU's defense settled in on the perimeter and the Pride (14-7, 5-3 CAA) shot just 13.3 percent from beyond the arc on 2-of-15 shooting in the second half.

Also scoring in double figures was sophomore guard Jackson Kent (High Point, N.C./High Point Christian), who had 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting. Junior guard Winston Grays (Cleveland, Ohio/Benedictine (Cincinnati State)) accrued nine points while freshman guard Joey McLean (Greensboro, N.C./High Point Christian) had eight points. Sophomore forward Yohanny Dalembert (Port-au-Prince, Haiti/Lower Merion (Pa.)) added seven points and a team-high nine rebounds.

Madison shot 40.7 percent (22-of-54) for the game and made 50 percent (8-of-16) from 3-point land while knocking down 85 percent (17-of-20) of its free throws, the best mark in five weeks as a team. The Pride finished with a 35.4 percent (23-of-65) shooting percentage and was held to just 35.5 percent (11-of-31) from three. The Dukes did a tremendous job keeping HU off the free throw line, where it finished 6-of-10.

Hofstra was paced by Juan'ya Green, who scored 16 points on 6-of-15 shooting, to go with his game-high seven assists. Moussa Kone recorded his first double-double of the season with 13 points and a game-high 11 rebounds while Jamall Robinson added 10 points off the bench.

The contest remained close for much of the first half but with the game tied at 26-26, a Kone layup with 5:39 in the first frame sparked a 16-3 run that was fueled by four Hofstra 3-pointers to give the Pride a 42-29 lead with 3:07 left. JMU trailed by as many as 14 but a late bucket by Grays cut the deficit to 45-33 at the break.

JMU used a 7-0 run early in the second to cut Hofstra's lead back to single digits but five straight points by Green gave the Pride a 52-40 lead with 16:31 left. The Dukes answered back with a huge run, which would eventually give JMU its first lead of the game.

The Pride hit a scoring drought spanning 5:35 of game action, missing seven shots and turning the ball over five times as JMU went on a 14-0 run to grab a narrow 54-52 lead with 9:44 left. During that span, redshirt sophomore forward Dimitrije Cabarkapa (Novi Sad, Serbia/High Medical School) came off the bench and scored five points, which included a big second-chance bucket off an offensive rebound as the Dukes held Hofstra without a point for over seven minutes.

The two teams battled back and forth but down the stretch, JMU's defense came up big when it needed to be. Tied at 63-63 after a Kone layup, Dalembert took a feed from Grays and banked it in off the glass while being fouled in the process, giving the Dukes a 66-63 lead with 1:32 left. The Pride was able to get up six 3-point attempts over the final 90 seconds, but none fell as the Dukes used three more free throws from Curry to seal the win.

JMU returns to action on Wednesday, Jan. 28, when it opens a three-game homestand against Delaware at 7 p.m. inside the JMU Convocation Center.

Click here to purchase individual ticket to the game. Fans who are unable to attend can also watch the game live on MadiZONE HD SportsNet, presented by the JMU Alumni Association, or listen on the JMU/nTelos Wireless Broadcast Network or on the local airwaves at WSVA 550 AM and 92.1 FM. Wednesday's game will be sponsored by Dick Meyers Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep. For a full listing of promotions all season long, click here.