Dukes' Comeback Cut Short at Elon

Sunday, December 30

Elon, N.C.

4 p.m.

James Madison University

7-8, 0-2CAA

Elon

5-10, 1-1CAA

James Madison

Elon

12/30/2018 9:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score @JMUMBasketball JMU MBB on Instagram Box Score

ELON, N.C. - James Madison could not climb all the way back from a 17-point deficit on Sunday evening, dropping a heartbreaking 68-65 decision at Elon in Colonial Athletic Association men's basketball action at the Schar Center.

The Dukes (7-8, 0-2 CAA) scored the first 11 points of the game, but weren't able to hold off the Phoenix (5-10, 1-1 CAA), who charged back to take a 37-28 lead at the break with the help of an 11-of-22 (50 percent) shooting performance and 16 fouls against JMU in the opening period.

Elon would push the lead to 58-41 with 9:11 to play, but the Dukes would start chipping away immediately, scoring the next nine points in a row. JMU would seize the momentum and cut the deficit to as few as two, but the Phoenix got a pair of layups in the final minutes and the Dukes turned the ball over trailing by three with less than six seconds left to seal the contest.

Sophomore Dwight Wilson posted his best game in a JMU uniform, racking up a career-high 22 points on 11-of-12 shooting, while grabbing 10 rebounds, including six on the offensive end, across just 27 minutes. Sophomore Matt Lewis tallied 16 points in the loss, while senior Stuckey Mosley added 10.

Senior Tyler Seibring tallied 21 points to lead Elon on the evening.

QUOTING COACH ROWE
"This team keeps battling. We know we can't put ourselves in the position we did today. You can't dig a hole like that on the road, but I saw the fight in us against a lot of adversity and I'm with them. We just need to come out with 40 minutes every night."

QUICK HITS
- Senior Stuckey Mosley hit three more three-pointers on Sunday, giving him at least one in all 15 games this year and in 18 straight contests dating back to last season.
- Sophomore Dwight Wilson's double-double was his third of the season and the first for a JMU player since Wilson had 15 points and 14 boards against Oakland on Nov. 23.
- Playing through a bout of illness, freshman Deshon Parker matched career highs for three-pointers (2) and rebounds (5) while dishing out five assists to push his assist-turnover ratio to 39-12.

UP NEXT
The Dukes return home this week, 31 days after their last home game, to take on UNCW at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 3.