Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball at Richmond (Exh.) on October 25, 2025 at 6 p.m.
MBB
6 p.m.
James Madison
at Richmond (Exh.)
James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
Thursday, November 9
Kent, Ohio
7 p.m.
James Madison University
at
Kent State
Dukes Hoops Looks Ahead to Kent State Thursday
11/8/2023 11:38:00 AM | Men's Basketball
James Madison Dukes (1-0, 0-0 SBC) @ Kent State Golden Flashes (1-0, 0-0 MAC)
  Nov. 9, 2023 - 7:00 p.m.
Kent, Ohio - Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center
Game Links
 Live Stats · ESPN+ Broadcast  · Audio Broadcast
JMUSports.com · @JMUMBasketball · #GoDukes
Â
GAME 2 OF THE 2023-24 SEASON
- James Madison travels to Kent State for their second game of the 2023-24 season. They arrive in Kent, Ohio following a massive 79-76 overtime upset over #4 Michigan State on Monday night to open the season.
- The Kent State Golden Flashes opened up their campaign with a 79-58 win at home over Division II Malone University. With the victory, the Flashes extended their winning streak at home to 23 games, which currently ranks second in the country to UCLA (26 games).Â
DUKES, ROAD TESTED:
- With a loaded front end of their schedule this season, the Dukes (1-0, 0-0 Sun Belt) have been on the road since Saturday. A packed Breslin Center on Monday night provided an intense environment that should prepare JMU for the rest of the season. Kent State's home winning streak and home fan base will be an additional test for the Dukes to challenge. Â
- Coach Byington says he and the team are coming from East Lansing learning about themselves after Monday night's victory. "It's great to go in and win, but even if Tyson Walker made that shot in regulation, we still would have learned a lot. Some things fell our way, and some things didn't fall our way, but we fought through and kept on going."
- That same mentality will be needed at Kent State with another difficult opponent. Both teams will be prepared for another physical game in the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center.Â
- Redshirt junior Terrence Edwards, Jr., who was named Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team this year, played a stellar game under incredible pressure at MSU on Monday. He finished with a team-high 24 points in a game-high 41 minutes.Â
- Edwards was aided by a stellar first performance by newcomer T.J. Bickerstaff, a graduate forward. Bickerstaff hit a jumper with 30 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime. He finished with 21 points, and led all players with 14 rebounds.Â
- Noah Freidel, a redshirt senior who has returned for his second year at JMU, provided a massive performance as well. He (11) and Bickerstaff (14) combined for 25 of JMU's 51 rebounds (49%). Freidel also contributed 7 pointsÂ
- The Dukes bench, which had provided 22 points while the Dukes tried to navigate foul trouble, also provided a key highlight of the night. Raekwon Horton played 15 minutes and hit possibly the Shot of the Night. With 10 seconds left in overtime, his contested three-pointer in the eye of a Spartans defender were his first points of the game, but they were enough to seal the deal for the Dukes.Â
- The victory over #4 Michigan State was the highest-ranked team they had beaten, and it was second time in school history that the Dukes beat a ranked opponent (first was #19 California on 12/29/1992).Â
THE GOLDEN FLASHES
- Kent State (1-0, 0-0Â MAC) has ten returning players and five new additions this year.
- The Flashes lost three of their top scorers.  Junior guard Jalen Sullinger leads the current list of returners on the team in scoring last year with 8.6 PPG. He had 10 points, one rebound, and one assist on Monday night.Â
- In addition to Sullinger's 10 points, Kent State had three others reach double digits against Division II Malone Univeristy. Cli'ron Hornbeak, Reggie Bass, and Giovanni Santiago scored 13, 14, and 15 points, respectively. Â
- Kent State committed just 9 fouls against Malone, but this game should be a more physical endeavor as both teams have a lot to prove and test out early in the season.Â
GAME INSIGHTS
- This matchup between JMU and Kent State is the second in a series of three consecutive games which sees the Dukes facing teams that appeared in the NCAA Tournament last season. (#4) Michigan State, Kent State, and Howard are the first opponents that JMU sees this year. Collectively, they totaled 71 wins last year. This is the most competitive three game stretch to start the season across all teams in the Sun Belt Conference. It is also at the top of the pack across the country.Â
- The Dukes and Golden Flashes have faced off five times. They have split at each of their home courts (1-1 at JMU, 1-1 at Kent State), but Kent State has a 1-0 edge in neutral site matchups, which was the last time they played in Naples, Fla (11/22/21). With a (2-3) overall record against the Flashes, JMU could even the all-time series, and also break Kent State's 23-home game winning streak.Â
- JMU is 11-9 against current MAC members, with victories coming against Ball State (2), Kent State (2), Northern Illinois (2), Akron (1), Buffalo (1), Miami (OH) (1), Eastern Michigan (1), and Western Michigan (1).
UP NEXT
- This is the final game of their opening road trip to start the 2023-24 season for JMU. They return home immediately following their game Thursday night to prepare for Howard University on Sunday in their 2023-24 Home Opener at Atlantic Union Bank Center. Tip-off for that game is at 4:00pm.Â
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
G/F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballJMU Athletics | The Energy of March
Saturday, March 08
JMU Men’s Basketball | Coach Spradlin Postgame Press Conference Feb. 20
Friday, February 21
JMU Men's Basketball | Coach Spradlin Press Conference | Monday, February 17
Tuesday, February 18
JMU Men's Basketball | Player Postgame Press Conference Dec. 7
Tuesday, December 10
