Free Throws Seal JMU Win at College of Charleston, 84-78

Sunday, February 19

Charleston, S.C.

2 p.m.

James Madison University

20-6, 13-2

College of Charleston

9-17, 6-9

James Madison

Col. of Charleston

Free Throws Seal JMU Win at College of Charleston, 84-78

2/19/2017 4:38:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score @JMUWBasketball WBB on Instagram WBB on Facebook Box Score

CHARLESTON, S.C. – James Madison women's basketball withstood the College of Charleston comeback attempt with key free throws down the stretch and walked away with the 84-78 win. The Dukes, now 20-6 overall and 13-2 in Colonial Athletic Association action, have won eight straight.

JMU led by as many as 18 points before halftime, but the Cougars used a second-half clip of 53.3 percent to cut the deficit to two points (75-73) with 2:08 left in regulation. The Dukes went without a field goal the final 6:01 of the game, but made 16 trips to the free throw line and sank 13 of those attempts to seal the win.

8 straight wins for @JMUWBasketball as they hold on to defeat College of Charleston. #CAAHoops pic.twitter.com/d46bJKBmWh
— CAA Basketball (@CAABasketball) February 19, 2017

Redshirt senior guard Precious Hall and redshirt junior forward Amber Porter accounted for all but one of the Dukes' 21 points in the fourth quarter. Hall finished the day with 25 points, including 10 made free throws (10-12), and Porter posted 18 points with a perfect 10-for-10 day at the charity stripe.

Freshman Lexie Barrier had 16 points, her CAA-play career best, with a career-high four makes from 3-point range (4-5). Redshirt junior forward Tasia Butler added in 11 points, her best scoring performance in CAA play this season.

Lexie Barrier hits back-to-back threes as @JMUWBasketball takes a 14-point lead. pic.twitter.com/2zeIYGdQ6V
— CAA Basketball (@CAABasketball) February 19, 2017

BACK-TO-BACK
In back-to-back games, JMU opened with the first 10 points of the day (11-0 at UNCW, 10-0 at Charleston). Eight of Sunday's first 10 points came from Precious Hall.

PORTER AT THE LINE
Amber Porter has made her last 17 free-throw attempts, including a perfect 10-for-10 showing in the fourth quarter today. She is the first to shoot 100 percent from the line in a single game with at least 10 attempts since Jazmon Gwathmey (JMU '16) went 10-for-10 against Liberty on Nov. 23, 2015.

Barrier extends the @JMUWBasketball lead to double-digits at the end of the 3rd as she nails another three! pic.twitter.com/BodDhZQp91
— CAA Basketball (@CAABasketball) February 19, 2017

PROGRAM MARK
JMU notched its 20^th win of the season on Sunday, the 12^th straight year the Dukes have done so.

Lexie Barrier is showing off today! @JMUWBasketball
— R. Chase Dunn (@chaseisdunn) February 19, 2017

HAVE A DAY, LEXIE
Lexie Barrier went 3-for-4 in the first half, including a perfect 3-for-3 from 3-point range, to post 11 points over 14 minutes in her second career start. She finished with 16 points and a career-best 4-for-5 performance from beyond the arc.

OFF THE BOARDS
The Dukes and Cougars tied in rebounds 32-32. This snapped an eight-game stretch in which JMU outrebounded its opponent. The only team in the CAA to outrebound the Dukes was Elon on the road (48-41).

P2K
Precious Hall finished the day with 25 points, her 26^th straight double-figure performance. She is tied for the fourth-longest streak in JMU history and pushed her career point total 2,120. Her next pair of points will move her into second on JMU's all-time scoring chart, currently held by Tamera Young (2,121 career points). Hall has 614 points this season, the eighth-highest single-season total in JMU history. Her personal season best is 685 points, which ranks fifth on the chart.

UP NEXT
The Dukes wrap up their regular-season road slate on Friday, Feb. 24 at Drexel in a 7 p.m. contest. JMU won the first meeting 54-47 in Harrisonburg.