Dukes Roll Past Blue Hens, 67-56, for 10th Consecutive Home Win

Sunday, February 25

Harrisonburg, Va.

2 p.m.

James Madison University

15-219-9 | CAA

Delaware

10-617-10| CAA

Delaware

JMU

Dukes Roll Past Blue Hens, 67-56, for 10th Consecutive Home Win

2/25/2018 5:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va. – In a game with eight tied scores and six lead changes, JMU women's basketball used a 14-4 run across the middle part of the second half to separate from Delaware for good and take the 67-56 victory.

The win marked the Dukes' (19-9, 15-2 CAA) 10^th consecutive at home and 12^th straight over the Blue Hens (17-10, 10-6 CAA).

Led by redshirt sophomore Kelly Koshuta's 16 points, eight of the nine Dukes who saw action in the game contributed to the team's scoring. Sophomore Lexie Barrier tallied 14 points in the victory, and sophomore Kamiah Smalls reached 13 points, all of which came in the second half.

PACE OF PLAY

JMU used an 11-4 run to take a seven-point lead (15-8).
Delaware countered with a 9-2 run to take the 21-19 lead.
JMU closed the quarter on a 9-2 run of its own, holding UD without a field goal over the final 5:10 of the half.
The Dukes & Blue Hens were tied eight times and changed leads six times over the first 20 minutes.
JMU opened the third quarter on a 6-2 run to take a 10-point lead (41-31), capped by a block from Kayla Cooper-Williams that set Kamiah Smalls up for the fastbreak layup.
Delaware pulled back within two (45-43) with 32 seconds left in the third quarter.
JMU used a 14-4 run to push its lead back to double figures for good.

BLOCK CITY
Four Dukes added to their season block totals in the day's victory. Redshirt sophomore Kayla Cooper-Williams led with three blocks, pushing her season total to 63 and career total to 134. Redshirt sophomore Kelly Koshuta, sophomore Lexie Barrier and sophomore Devon Merritt each joined the party with one block apiece.

DISH AND SWISH
The Dukes made 12 assists on 21 made baskets, the 13^th time in league play they have tallied assists on at least 50 percent of their makes. Junior Logan Reynolds accounted for a team-best seven assists.

TRIPLE DOUBLE-FIGURES
Three Dukes scored in double-figures for the 18^th time this season on Sunday. Redshirt sophomore Kelly Koshuta had her 18^th double-figure performance of the season with 16 points. Sophomore Lexie Barrier had her 19^th double-figure performance of the season with 14^th points and sophomore Kamiah Smalls had her 17^th double-figure performance of the season with 13 points.

CONSISTENCY COUNTS
Senior Hailee Barron appeared in her 129th consecutive game, stretching the second-longest streak in JMU history. She also moved into a tie for eighth all-time on the career games played chart with Kisha Stokes ('09).

BALL CONTROL
The Dukes turned the ball over eight times in the first half, which the Blue Hens converted into eight points. Delaware gave the ball away six times, resulting in four JMU points, during that same span. JMU turned it around in the second half, committing just three turnovers for three Delaware points, while the Blue Hens gave it away five times for six Dukes points. Both teams finished with six steals each, an effort that was led by junior Logan Reynolds on the JMU side, who picked off a career-high tying five.

STILL OF THE AFTERNOON
90151

(See full gallery here).

CAA LANDSCAPE
With the win this afternoon, the Dukes find themselves still at the top of the conference standings with Drexel. Should JMU win vs. William & Mary and Drexel drop a game (at Delaware, home vs. Charleston), the Dukes would claim the No. 1 seed in the CAA Tournament. If the Dragons and Dukes both win out over the final week of the season, tiebreaker rules would be in effect.

UP NEXT
The Dukes close the regular season on Saturday, March 3 with a 2 p.m. contest against William & Mary at the Convo. Fans are encouraged to arrive early as JMU will celebrate its women's basketball seniors in a pregame ceremony.