Celebrating 25 Years Since JMU's Historic NCAA Win at Penn State

On the same day that the members of this year's JMU women's basketball team departed for their trip to the NCAA tournament, it was on this date 25 years ago that their forebears pulled off one of the biggest upsets in tournament history.

On March 16, 1991, the Dukes beat what was then the top-ranked team in the nation, Penn State , 73-71 at Penn State's Rec Hall in the second round of what was then a 48-team tournament. It was the first time in the tournament's history that a No. 1 seed lost its first contest.

The 1990-91 team had to receive an at-large bid into the field. The Dukes won a then program-record 21 games that season but saw the streak end in a 52-47 loss to Richmond late in the season. Then JMU lost 78-75 to East Carolina in the semifinals of the CAA tournament at the Convocation Center and had to await their NCAA tournament fate.

Kerri Gilmore Mesiah (1987-91) was a senior guard and a team captain that season. She had 75 steals, tying for fifth in program history for steals in a season, and she made the CAA All-Defensive Team. Mesiah said she is a believer in timely losses and that falling to ECU may have helped the Dukes later on.

"I think that loss, and the way we lost, motivated us tremendously," Mesiah said. "We prayed for that at-large bid which, again, back in those days was something unique and rare. The tournament selection committee was good to us. We fought hard for that after a great season."

With the at-large bid into the tournament and an eighth seed, JMU began play with a 70-62 win over Kentucky at the Convocation Center to advance to the matchup against Penn State.

Mesiah said that JMU was accustomed to playing a high seed in the second round. Playing in her fourth season, she had experienced the team's trips to the NCAA tournament in 1988 and 1989, yet those trips did not diminish the challenge the Dukes faced in 1991.

"I think in our minds, any given day we believed that we could pull off something great," Mesiah said. "But I do believe that our knees were shaking, I'm not going to make it seem like we went in there just believing that we were going to beat Penn State."

Penn State entered the game with a 29-1 record and an 18-game overall win streak. Mesiah could sense a level of confidence from the Lady Lions. A noisy crowd of over 6,000 attended to watch the game, the majority Penn State supporters with a small section of JMU fans.

"Until that point, Penn State had only lost one game that year and I think they really felt like they were a contender for a national championship," said David Taylor, the longtime JMU radio play-by-play announcer who called the game and still serves as the voice of the women's basketball program.

The Lady Lions opened the game on an 11-0 run to take an early lead and held that lead going into halftime ahead 41-29.

"That first half was ugly, it was tough and we were intimidated. We were playing at No. 1-ranked Penn State and they had some really well-renowned players, a very famous coach and the gym was packed with Penn State fans including coach Joe Paterno and not a lot of JMU fans," Mesiah said.

At halftime, Mesiah said that the Dukes probably went into the locker room with their heads down, a bit discouraged. Head coach Shelia Moorman gave JMU a reassuring speech, reiterating the game plan and instilling confidence in the Dukes.

"Coach made us realize that we were still in it," Mesiah said. "We knew we hadn't completely blown the goals that she set for us."

In the second half, JMU used its defense to hold back Penn State's offense as it chipped away at the deficit, finally taking its first lead halfway through the second frame.

"We really believed it was just one point at a time," Mesiah said. "I think midway into that second half we looked up and we were probably down by five and it all clicked for us. We thought, 'Wow we can do this.'"

JMU held on from there, fighting off a Lady Lions comeback. Penn State did have a last opportunity to jump back ahead, down by two in the game's final moments, but the Dukes' senior forward Jeanine Michealson (1989-91) blocked a 3-point attempt as time expired.

"I remember looking at the clock, and it was a second or less than a second, it was just ticking away as Jeanine got the rebound," Mesiah said. "And it took me a while to realize, 'Oh my gosh, we just won this game.' I have chills thinking about it right now."

Mesiah ran and jumped into the arms of one of her teammates, senior forward Vicki Harris (1987-91), another one of the team captains. Then JMU faithful were able to begin celebrating too.

"JMU fans were jumping over the sides onto the floor," Taylor said. "It was an amazing moment."

Mesiah said that it probably was not until the Dukes left the court and went back into the locker room that the win really started to feel real.

"We had beaten Penn State, on their court with Joe Paterno there watching and the crowd was silent," Mesiah said. "I mean, after not even being able to hear ourselves call the plays, the gym was silent aside from the JMU fans chanting and screaming, 'JMU Dukes!'"

The win secured a spot in the Sweet 16 for JMU, where it lost to Clemson five days later, but the ramifications of the win over Penn State were perhaps unquantifiable for the program moving forward.

"Basketball teams at JMU have had some amazing achievements," said Milla Sue Wisecarver, the now retired JMU sports information director who worked the Penn State game. "That win just might be the bedrock. I am sure that the achievements following were, in a way, made possible by that achievement. That's the kind of thing that you can't buy."

The upset of Penn State was not the first time JMU knocked off a No. 1 seed — it also upset Virginia to advance to the Sweet 16 in 1986. In total, JMU has made 12 total NCAA tournament appearances, including this year.

Mesiah now looks at the current crop of JMU players with admiration.

"I could not even imagine trying to play against the caliber of talent that Kenny Brooks is bringing into James Madison," Mesiah said. "I mean, those girls are unbelievable athletes and I could not be more proud that they have those three letters across their chests."

Mesiah is the mother of JMU baseball junior outfielder, Ky Parrott. She also has two younger sons, ages 9 and 7, who she coaches in basketball. As a coach and a mother, she continues to pass down the lessons she learned in that triumph over Penn State.

"I'm always telling them, 'It's never over until it's over,'" Mesiah said. "I tell them, 'When you see your opponent get tired, as soon as you see them pulling on their shorts a little bit and as long as there is time on that clock you have a chance to pull this out,' and that lesson stems from that Penn State game."

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