Dukes Open WNIT with 60-52 Win Over ETSU

Thursday, March 15

Harrisonburg, Va.

7 p.m.

James Madison University

22-10

ETSU

20-13

ETSU

JMU

3/15/2018 9:33:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score @JMUWBasketball Photo Gallery HIGHLIGHTS

HARRISONBURG, Va. – Sophomore guard Lexie Barrier poured in a career-high 27 points and James Madison withstood ETSU's fourth-quarter push to open the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) with a 60-52 victory Thursday night at the JMU Convocation Center.

JMU improved to 22-10 overall and will host Radford in the second round of the WNIT on Saturday night at 7 p.m. ETSU ended its season at 20-13.

Barrier's 27 points were the most this season by a JMU player. Her night included 11 points in the fourth quarter and nine in the opening period. Redshirt-sophomore center Kayla Cooper-Williams added nine points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.

UP NEXT
JMU will host Radford in the WNIT for the second straight year as the Highlanders defeated Penn State on the road by a 63-62 score in overtime. The Dukes won last year's matchup 80-59 in the opening round of the WNIT. Priority deadline for season ticket holders to reserve their same seats is 5 p.m. Friday.

HIGHLIGHTS | COMPLETE PHOTO GALLERY

PACE OF PLAY

JMU opened with a 9-2 lead, saw ETSU tie the game at 9-9, then closed the first quarter on a 10-0 run over the final 5:44
The Buccaneers' scoreless drought extended into the first two minutes of the second quarter for a total span of 7:48 scoreless
JMU took a 31-20 lead into the half
JMU still led 39-28 but ETSU cut the lead to 39-33 on a 3-pointer by Tianna Tarter at the 3:15 mark in the third quarter
The Dukes then led 48-36 in the fourth quarter but saw the Buccaneers use a 8-0 run at the mid-point of the period to make it a four-point game
ETSU held JMU without a field goal in the final 6:07 of the fourth quarter, but the Dukes went 12-for-12 during that span at the free throw line to keep the game in control

QUICK STARTS
It was the fifth straight win for JMU to claim a noteworthy early lead as the Dukes led 9-2 and then 19-9. In JMU's previous four victories, early first-quarter leads included:

9-0 vs. College of Charleston in CAA quarterfinals
11-0 vs. William & Mary in home finale
15-8 vs. Delaware at home
13-2 vs. UNCW at home

NOTEWORTHY NUMBERS

JMU won for the 19^th time in its last 22 games
JMU improved to 16-7 all-time in the WNIT, including 14-2 at home
ETSU fell to 1-5 all-time in the WNIT
JMU won for the fifth straight time against ETSU while improving to 8-6 in the series
Barrier's 27 points set a career high for the second time in three games as she had 24 in the CAA quarterfinals against College of Charleston
JMU forced 18 turnovers
JMU was 14-for-14 at the free throw line in the fourth quarter and 23-for-26 (88.5%) for the game