Dukes Sink Bryant 67-36 to Close Non-Conference Action

Thursday, December 21

Harrisonburg, Va.

1 p.m.

James Madison University

4-7

Bryant

1-10

Bryant

JMU

12/21/2017 4:17:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison women's basketball led wire-to-wire on Thursday afternoon, closing the non-conference slate with a 67-36 victory over Bryant.

After leading by single digits throughout the first half, the Dukes (4-7) put together a 21-4 run that pushed them out to a double-digit lead they would never relinquish. Bryant (1-10) was only able to get within 18 points the rest of way.

Sophomore Kamiah Smalls led three Dukes in double figures with a career-high 23, joined by 10 points from junior Logan Reynolds and 10 points from redshirt-sophomore Kayla Cooper-Williams. Cooper-Williams also pulled down a season-high 12 rebounds, marking her first double-double of the season.

HOW WE GOT HERE

JMU opened on a 10-2 run, but a cold slump that lasted more than three minutes allowed Bryant to climb back within four before a fastbreak layin by Kamiah Smalls pushed the sophomore into double figures less than eight minutes into the game.
The Dukes went cold during the latter first quarter, but limited Bryant to free throws, keeping them from scoring a field goal over the final 3:38 of the frame.
Bryant used a 9-4 run bridging the first and second quarters. With the Bulldogs within three, JMU went on an 8-2 run, including five turnovers by Bryant, to push the lead back out to 9.
The Dukes used a made free throw by Koshuta to push the lead to 10, but Bryant continued to chip away and pulled to within six (26-20).
JMU answered with a Logan Reynolds 3-pointer & a jumper by Smalls, forcing the Bulldogs into a timeout. The stretch sparked a 21-4 run that pushed the Dukes to an 23-point advantage (47-24) with 1:07 left in the third quarter.
5-0 Bryant run to close 3Q, but JMU opened the 4Q on a 14-2 run to push out to a 30-point lead (61-31), 4:31.

ON THE BOARDS
JMU pulled down 53 rebounds as a team, marking a season-high. Of those boards, 28 were on the offensive end to help the Dukes to 19 second-chance points.

CAREER-HIGH MARKS
Lexie Barrier pulled down a career-high nine rebounds and added a career-best five assists on the afternoon.

TIS' THE SEASON
88593

The JMU pep band showed their personality through holiday sweaters.
Full gallery available here.

A FOUL OF TWO HALVES
In the first half, JMU committed 12 fouls compared to Bryant's 1, which sent the Bulldogs to the line eight times and kept the Dukes from the charity stripe. In the second half, JMU committed just nine fouls to send Bryant to the line eight more times while the Bulldogs fouled the Dukes 15 times over the final 20 minutes, giving JMU 22 trips to the line.

NO ONE'S SAFE
As a team, JMU committed 17 steals to set a season high.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STATS
Adding to her 10 points on her birthday, Logan Reynolds dished out a season-high six assists and added a career-high tying five steals in the victory.

FRESHMAN FIRSTS
Tori Harris had a career-best eight points and four rebounds in the victory, seeing 13 minutes of action.

UP NEXT
The Dukes open league play with a two-game road-swing, starting at Hofstra on Dec. 29 (7 p.m.) before traveling to Northeastern on Dec. 31 (1 p.m.).