Dukes Fall in CAA Semifinals

Friday, March 9

Philadelphia, Pa.

5:30 p.m.

James Madison University

Elon

3/9/2018 7:57:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score Photo Gallery @JMUWBasketball Complete Highlights

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Elon built a 17-point advantage at the break and James Madison was unable to muster a significant second-half rally, falling in the Colonial Athletic Association women's basketball semifinals 76-53 on Friday evening at the Daskalakis Athletic Center.

Second-seeded JMU fell to 21-10 overall and will await a likely bid to the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). Third-seeded Elon improved to 24-7 and advanced to Saturday's 1 p.m. title bout with No. 1 Drexel.

Redshirt sophomore forward Kelly Koshuta scored 19 points to lead JMU for the second straight day, while sophomore guard Kamiah Smalls made it two Dukes in double figures with 14.

PACE OF PLAY

Unlike Thursday's quarterfinal when JMU grabbed the early momentum, Elon jumped out to an early 14-5 advantage from the tip
The Dukes cut it to five at the end of the first quarter and a second-quarter layup by sophomore Kayla Cooper-Williams made it 17-14 before the Phoenix reeled off a 9-0 run on three consecutive 3-pointers
JMU got no closer than nine points the rest of the game and trailed by 17 at the break, 42-25
A Lexie Barrier free throw cut it to 12 at 44-32 three minutes into the second half
Elon scored the next six points and had an answer for every JMU burst, taking a 55-40 lead at the end of the third and scoring the first six of the fourth quarter to take a commanding 61-40 advantage en route to the win

COMPLETE HIGHLIGHTS

STATS OF NOTE

JMU went 16-for-20 (80 percent) at the free throw line
Koshuta's 19-point effort followed a 25-point outing in the quarterfinals for a two-day tournament total of 44
Smalls had 13 points to go with 14 in the quarterfinals
Junior guard Logan Reynolds had six points, five assists, three rebounds, two blocks and a steal
Shay Burnett had 10 assists, including eight in the first half, and nine points to pace Elon
Four for Elon were in double figures, led by Meme Garner's 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the arc
Elon shot 53 percent from both floor and the arc while JMU shot 30 percent from the field and just 3-for-17 from long range

CAA NOTES

The game was a rematch of the 2017 CAA Title game in Harrisonburg, also won by Elon
JMU fell to 1-2 all-time in CAA tournament matchups with Elon, defeating the Phoenix in the 2015 semifinals
JMU did not reach the title game for the first time since 2013