Curry, Grays Power Dukes to Senior Night Win Over Tribe

Saturday, February 27

Harrisonburg, Va.

2:30 p.m.

James Madison University

21-10, 11-7CAA

William & Mary

19-10, 11-7CAA

William & Mary

James Madison

2/27/2016 5:43:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va. - James Madison men's basketball dropped William & Mary 71-65 on Saturday afternoon in front of 3,646 fans at the JMU Convocation Center to secure the No. 4 seed in the 2016 Colonial Athletic Association Championship next week.

In his final regular-season contest at the Convo, senior guard Ron Curry paced the Dukes with a game-high 21 points, 16 of which came in the second half. The Pennsauken, N.J. native finished 6-of-12 from the floor and 6-of-8 from the free throw line, adding five assists over 30 minutes of play despite a trio of first-half fouls. He pushed his career total to 1,530 and is just four points from taking over fourth all-time from Darren McLinton (1,533).

Senior guard Winston Grays III shined on his Senior Day as well, scoring eight points, all in the first half, and pulling down a career-high nine rebounds. Junior forward Yohanny Dalembert and junior guard Jackson Kent joined Curry in double figures with 18 and 10 points, respectively. Junior forward Paulius Satkus also matched his career-high on the glass, grabbing nine boards.

The Dukes shot an even 50.0-percent (27-54) for the contest, with a 60.0-percent mark (15-25) in the opening frame, their fifth half at 60-percent or better this season. They limited William & Mary to 38.3-percent (23-60) from the field for the game, including a 0-for-10 showing from beyond the arc in the second stanza. As a team, the Dukes outrebounded the Tribe 38-30, including a 30-22 edge in defensive boards.

The Tribe came out hot, hitting six of their first eight shots to jump out to a 15-6 lead just 3:51 into the contest. That would be W&M's largest lead of the day, however, as the Dukes immediately ripped off an 11-0 run to take a 17-15 lead. After a three-pointer from the Tribe put them back on top, Curry buried his first triple of the day to put JMU up, 20-18, and erase W&M's last advantage of the contest.

W&M would tie the game at 40-40 with 16:34 to play, but a 12-5 run from the Dukes put them ahead, 52-45, with 9:43 left and the lead stayed between seven and two for the remainder of the contest. The Tribe had their best chance late, cutting JMU's advantage to 64-62 with 50 seconds on the clock, but a three-pointer from the left wing from sophomore guard Joey McLean put the contest out of reach.

Junior Omar Prewitt tallied 17 points on 8-of-16 shooting to pace the W&M offense, while Sean Sheldon and David Cohn each chipped in 13.

The Dukes (21-10, 11-7 CAA) will meet the Tribe (19-10, 11-7 CAA) for a third time this season next Saturday in the CAA quarterfinals as William & Mary finishes as the fifth seed. The game is slated for a 2:30 p.m. tip.

QUOTING HEAD COACH MATT BRADY
"It was an emotional win for our seniors, a terrific win for our basketball program and an unbelievable crowd here this Saturday afternoon. We really appreciate everything our community has done to support us and help us in today's game and the student section was the best it's been all year."

PLAY OF THE GAME

Sophomore Joey McLean knocked down this three-pointer in the final minute to seal the Dukes' win on Saturday afternoon.

CAA WRAP-UP
Because Towson, JMU and William & Mary all finished tied for third in the standings (11-7), seeding for the league tournament is determined based on head-to-head competition. With a 3-1 record against the Dukes and Tribe, the Tigers take the No. 3 seed. JMU is No. 4 with a 2-2 record amongst the tied teams, and William & Mary is No. 5 with a 1-3 record.

Final seeding for first and second has yet to be determined. Elon has clinched the No. 8 seed while Drexel is the No. 9 seed and Delaware is the No. 10 seed.

IRON MAN

Ron Curry's 30 minutes today give him 4,163 for his career and move him into second all-time, surpassing Pierre Curtis' 4,137 minutes. First place is held by Devon Moore with 4,177 minutes.
Curry took sole possession of second place in career games played with 127. The JMU record is 132, set by Andrey Semenov.
Curry moved closer to third in career games started with his 110th career start. Third is held by Julius Wells (112).

SERIES NOTES

JMU snapped William & Mary's five-game win streak in the series.
This is the Dukes' first win over the Tribe since March 9, 2013 in the CAA quarterfinals. JMU went on to win the CAA tournament.
The Dukes and Tribe have faced off 91 times, tied for JMU's longest men's basketball rivalry. Their meeting next weekend will make it the longest.

UP NEXT
JMU heads to Baltimore, Md., for the 2016 CAA Championship. As the No. 4 seed, the Dukes have a bye through the first round and will face No. 5 William & Mary on Saturday, March 5 in the CAA quarterfinals at 2:30 p.m.