Balanced Scoring Propels #20 JMU Past Pirates

Saturday, December 16

Hampton, Va.

2 p.m.

James Madison University

10-0,0-0Sun Belt

Hampton

4-6,0-0CAA

James Madison

Hampton

12/16/2023 5:02:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

HAMPTON, Va. -- The James Madison men's basketball team extended their remarkable start to the 2023-24 season, securing a decisive 88-71 victory over the Hampton Pirates on Saturday afternoon. The win marks the #20 Dukes' impressive 10-game undefeated streak, solidifying their position as one of the few remaining unbeaten teams nationwide. Head Coach Mark Byington celebrated his 198th career win and 60th win with JMU.

JMU (10-0) showcased a well-distributed scoring effort, with six players reaching double figures. Xavier Brown led the Dukes, matching his career-high with 17 points. With T.J. Bickerstaff in early foul trouble, Jaylen Carey contributed a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) in 19 minutes. The Dukes successfully navigated challenges to sail away with a win over the Pirates.

How it happened:
1st Half

Hampton was the first on the scoreboard. A pair of free throws by Ja'Von Benson gave the Pirates the first lead of the game.
T.J. Bickerstaff tied it up with a jumper from the right elbow, but he got into early foul trouble, picking up two fouls in the first two minutes of play.
With the shot clock winding down, Tristan Maxwell hit a three to put the Pirates back up, 5-2
Julien Wooden answered emphatically by throwing down a poster dunk and finalizing an and-one opportunity to tie it again.
Back-to-back trips up the court with 3-pointers from Raekwon Horton and Noah Freidel gave the Dukes their first lead of the game. Freidel was fouled on his, and completed the and-one opportunity to make it 12-9 JMU with 15:44 to go in the first half.
The Pirates ran the floor in transition, and Kyrese Mullen completed a layup in contact and made it a three-point play, tying the game back up 12-12.
Jaylen Carey got on the boards early, collecting three rebounds in his first four minutes of play, and finished a nice put-back reverse layup to give JMU a 14-12 advantage.
For Hampton, freshman Jerry Deng scored his first 9 points of the game in a timely burst for the Pirates. On consecutive trips up the court, he hit a jumper in the short corner, then a straightaway 3-pointer, helping Hampton to burst out for a 28-22 lead. JMU was forced to call a timeout and regroup. Deng's performance allowed the Pirates to sustain the lead up to the half.
Sluggish shooting continued to nag the Dukes. They were shooting 36% in their first 25 attempts. Meanwhile Hampton started out hot, hitting 10-of-20 (50%) and 7-of-8 from the charity stripe.
Xavier Brown cut into the deficit with a timely 3-pointer, making it 32-27 with 5:45 left in the first half.
Back-to-back three-pointers from Michael Green III helped JMU dig back into it, trailing just 37-35 with three minutes to go in the half.
Jaylen Carey came back in, grabbing his 5^th rebound. He and Horton scored on layups before the half expired to bring the Dukes within one, 42-41.

2nd Half

Julien Wooden's three-pointer reclaimed the lead for JMU at 47-45.
JMU's 6-0 run contributed to a 14-4 surge, establishing a 55-49 lead.
Xavier Brown's consecutive threes extended JMU's lead to 71-56.
Despite Bickerstaff's foul trouble, Jaylen Carey's pivotal minutes and Bickerstaff's fadeaway jumper secured a comfortable victory.
JMU dominated with 20 second-chance points, shooting 50% from the field and 43.75% from beyond the arc in the second half.

Notables:

Six Dukes finished in double figures. Led by Xavier Brown (17), Michael Green III (16), Noah Freidel (13), T.J. Bickerstaff (12), and Jaylen Carey (12). Raekwon Horton scored 8 points for JMU, and grabbed four rebounds.
Carey recorded a double-double, while Noah Freidel and Michael Green III were just two rebounds and two assists shy of the feat, respectively.
Hampton, a team shooting 54% in December, was held to 43.1% by the Dukes.
JMU, ranked at the top for scoring offense, fell below their season average of 94.1 points.
JMU trailed at halftime for only the second time this season, allowing the most first-half points (42) against Hampton.
The Dukes have now had three consecutive games with double-double performances (Bickerstaff vs. Keystone & Old Dominion; Carey vs. Hampton).

What's Next
The Dukes return home to host Coppin State on Tuesday, and then they have a road trip planned for next Friday at Morgan State in Baltimore before they close out the month at home against Texas State on December 30^th.