Dukes Fall at Appalachian State in Overtime Battle

Saturday, December 17

Boone, N.C.

1 p.m.

James Madison University

1-9

Appalachian State

4-6

OT 1

James Madison

Appalachian State

12/17/2016 5:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score @JMUMBasketball 2016-17 Schedule 2016-17 Statistics

BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State guard Kelvin Robinson hit a game-tying three-pointer with less than a second left in regulation on Saturday afternoon, as James Madison eventually dropped a 73-61 overtime heartbreaker in non-conference men's basketball action.

The Dukes (1-9) shot well--particularly in the second half, when they were 11-for-19 (57.9 percent)--and dominated rebounding by a 43-27 margin, but turned the ball over 22 times as App State (4-6) hit 12 of its 27 three-pointers (44.4 percent) and went 5-for-7 from the field in overtime to seal the contest.

Senior guard Jackson Kent stuff the stat sheet again, tallying 16 points to go with six assists, three rebounds and two blocks, while junior Ramone Snowden racked up a career-high 13 points on just six shots, while pulling down a game-high eight rebounds.

JMU took a lead into halftime for the fifth time in the last six games, fighting through a 37.5-percent (9-for-24) shooting performance to lead App State, 28-24, at the break. In the second half, the action was back and forth, with the Dukes pushing their lead as high as six on multiple occasions.

Senior forward Yohanny Dalembert put JMU up, 57-54, with 2:41 to play with an emphatic baseline dunk, a lead that got trimmed to one on an App State jumper. Kent pushed the lead back to 59-56 with a pair of free throws at the six-second mark, but a quick push up the court gave Robinson the chance to drill an under-pressure three-pointer from the right wing with less than a second on the clock to tie things up.

In the overtime period, the Dukes were 0-for-5 from the field and hit just two of their six free throws, as App State controlled matters throughout. The Mountaineers shot 71.4 percent (5-for-7) from the field to close out JMU in the final five minutes.

Ronshad Shabazz, the Mountaineers' leading scorer entering the contest, racked up a game-high 21 points, including 15 after halftime, while Griffin Kinney and Patrick Good added 13 points each.

QUOTING COACH ROWE
"This was a similar story that we've seen in the past. The guys battled, but we have to have someone who is able to make a play down the stretch. If we make a couple more plays late, then they don't even have the chance to hit a huge shot like that. We have to take care of the ball better and we have to make more plays in big moments."

UP NEXT
After five games on the road, the Dukes will return home next week to host in-state rival Richmond in a Teusday, Dec. 20, contest scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. at the JMU Convocation Center. The Spiders are 5-5 on the season after dropping a 79-72 decision to Texas Tech at home on Saturday afternoon.