Banks, Dukes Roll Past Eastern Mennonite in Season Opener

Tuesday, November 6

Harrisonburg, VA.

7 p.m.

James Madison University

1-0

Eastern Mennonite

James Madison

Banks, Dukes Roll Past Eastern Mennonite in Season Opener

11/6/2018 10:55:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score @JMUMBasketball JMU MBB on Instagram Box Score Photo Gallery Highlights

HARRISONBURG, Va. - Four players scored in double figures on Tuesday evening, as James Madison rolled to an 86-58 win over Eastern Mennonite in the Dukes' 2018-19 men's basketball season opener at the JMU Convocation Center.

The Dukes shot 51.4 percent (19-of-37) from the field in the first half, forcing 12 turnovers on their way to a 48-27 lead at the break, a gap that would grow to as many as 32 late in the contest. JMU used a 15-1 run across 3:57 late in the second period to take an 82-51 lead and put things truly out of reach.

Sophomore guard Darius Banks opened his season in style against the Royals, going 9-of-13 from the field and hitting a pair of threes on his way to a career-high 22 points, nine boards and five assists across just 29 minutes, adding seven steals that set the facility record and tied the JMU single-game record.

Junior Stuckey Mosley and sophomore Matt Lewis each added 15 points on the evening, with Lewis tacking on five rebounds and four assists, while sophomore Greg Jones made the best of his first career start, racking up a career-high 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting and tacking on six boards and a pair of blocks.

QUOTING COACH ROWE
"I'm always happy with a win, but we definitely feel like there's room for improvement. We found a lot of things that we did well; we just have to do those things more consistently. It's just a matter of focus and energy and playing the same way after we take a lead."

QUICK HITS
- Sophomore Dwight Wilson led all players with 12 rebounds, three more than his previous career high.
- Banks' steals tied the program record for steals in a game with his seven, tying Fess Irvin (vs. UNC, 11/24/89) and Andre Nation (vs. UNCW, 2/15/14) atop the program record book.
- As a team, the Dukes racked up 14 steals and nine blocks on the evening, with both marking the best such performance of any game under Head Coach Louis Rowe.
- Freshmen Deshon Parker and Jonathan Hicklin scored their first collegiate points as Parker made a layup while Hicklin went 2-2 from the free-throw line.
- Tuesday's win marks the third time in four years that the Dukes have opened the season with a victory.

UP NEXT
The Dukes travel to Greenville, N.C. to face East Carolina in their first road contest of the 2018-2019 season on Friday, Nov. 9. Tip-off is set for 7:45 p.m. in Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum.