Men's Hoops Drops Battle with Elon

Thursday, February 10

Harrisonburg, Va.

7 p.m.

James Madison University

13-10,4-8CAA

Elon

8-17,5-7CAA

Elon

James Madison

2/10/2022 10:56:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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HARRISONBURG, Va. - Four players scored in double figures for James Madison on Thursday night, but the Dukes couldn't hold off a second-half charge from Elon, dropping a 70-66 battle to the Phoenix in men's basketball action at the Atlantic Union Bank Center.

Both teams went an identical 22-54 (40.7%) from the field, but JMU (13-10, 4-8) could not keep pace down the stretch, as Elon (8-17, 5-7) hit 10 of its last 15 shots from the field, including a trio of three-pointers - to provide the difference.

Redshirt sophomore Julien Wooden and redshirt junior Vado Morse led the quartet of Dukes in double figures with 17 points each, while redshirt freshmen Justin Amadi and Terrence Edwards added 12 and 10, respectively.

Wooden's scoring matched his career high with the help of a collegiate-best four three-pointers, adding four rebounds and three assists across 33 minutes.

Guard Hunter McIntosh used five three-pointers and an 8-8 performance at the free throw line to lead Elon with 23 points on the evening.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
The Dukes started strong, scoring the first four points of the game and leading for 16:12 of the opening period. Strong defense held Elon at bay, as the Phoenix shot just 28.6% (8-28) from the field prior to halftime.

Back-to-back Elon three-pointers gave the Phoenix a 21-20 advantage with 3:59 left, but JMU responded with seven straight points to go back on top and would eventually take a 29-24 lead into the half.

Second Half
An early 7-0 run from the Phoenix gave them back the lead with 14:36 to play. From there, neither team would lead by more than four until the final four minutes of the contest.

Elon used another seven straight points to go up 60-53 with 3:03 to play, taking the lead for the final time. JMU would make three shots in the final 80 seconds, cutting the gap to three on multiple occasions, but could get no closer as the Phoenix went 5-6 at the stripe in the final 33 seconds to hold off the Dukes and seal the win.

QUICK HITS
- Morse led the Dukes in rebounding for the first time this season, pulling down six boards to become the eighth JMU player to pace the Dukes this year.
- Since returning from injury, redshirt freshman guard Tyree Ihenacho has grabbed at least four rebounds in all four games he has played in.

UP NEXT
The Dukes remain at home on the weekend, welcoming William & Mary to the Atlantic Union Bank Center for a 4 p.m. matchup on Saturday, Feb. 12. The Tribe dropped a 75-60 decision at Towson on Thursday night to fall to 5-20 (4-8) on the season.