JMU Mounts Largest Comeback in Program History to Beat Boston College, 73-53

Friday, November 28

Daytona Beach, Fla.

11 a.m.

James Madison University

5-3,0-0Sun Belt

Boston College

4-5,0-0ACC

Boston College

James Madison

JMU Mounts Largest Comeback in Program History to Beat Boston College, 73-53

11/28/2025 3:05:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Facing a 19-0 deficit halfway through the first quarter, James Madison responded by shooting 29-of-49 (.592) over the final three periods for a 73-53 victory to open the Daytona Beach Classic at the Ocean Center on Friday afternoon, mounting the largest comeback in program history.

The Dukes (5-3) outscored the Eagles (4-5) 61-39 after the first quarter, taking the lead for good at the 6:20 mark of the third for their second win over an ACC team this season.

JMU pulled away with an explosive 30-point third quarter, knocking down 13-of-15 (.867) from the floor. The Dukes dominated the paint, out-rebounding BC 41-29 and held a 44-16 advantage in points in the paint.

McDaniel led all scorers with 19 points on 8-of-11 (.727) from the field and grabbed seven rebounds. The guard's seven rebounds place her eighth in program history, passing Kiki Jefferson (815) and Michele James (819).

Three other Dukes finished in double figures: Bree Robinson (14), Ashanti Barnes (13) and Grace McDonough. Barnes recorded a near double-double, wrangling in nine rebounds. Zakiya Stephenson produced a career-high 10 assists to go along with a season-high five boards. Kylie Marshall came of the bench and added four points and three steals, while Brianna McLeod chipped in with four points and three blocks.

For Boston College, Jocelyne Grier poured in a career-high 14 points to lead the Eagles off the bench. Lily Carmody finished with nine points and a team-best five assists.

How It Happened
First Quarter – BC 22, JMU 4

The Eagles jumped out to a 19-0 lead, scoring on seven of their first eight shots.
Robinson finally got the Dukes on the board with a driving layup at the 2:47 mark.
BC knocked down 6-of-8 (.750) from three, while JMU went 2-of-14 (.143) from the field.

Second Quarter – BC 30, JMU 23

An 8-0 scoring run cut the deficit down to single digits as the Dukes trailed 24-15 at the media timeout.
Erin Houpt broke JMU's 13-0 scoring spurt with a triple as BC led 27-20 with 3:24 to play.
The Dukes held the Eagles to zero made field goals for the final 2:59.

Third Quarter – JMU 53, BC 36

A 9-0 start, highlighted by an and-one by McDaniel, gave JMU its first lead of the game with a 32-30 edge at the 6:20 mark.
The Dukes connected on seven of their last eight from the field to take a 39-31 heading into the media timeout.
JMU closed on a 12-1 run over the final 2:46, holding the Eagles without a made field goal for the final 3:00

Fourth Quarter – JMU 73, BC 53

The Dukes continued their hot shooting, going 9-for-16 (.563) from the field, making eight of their last 10.
Barnes went for 4-for-4 from the floor for 10 points in the final frame.

Game Notes

The last time James Madison erased a deficit of 18 points or greater came in 2022 when the Dukes found themselves down 31-13 to William & Mary early in the second quarter but went on to win 64-58 on Feb. 6.
JMU has defeated current Power 4 opponents in back-to-back games for the first time since beating Virgnia (68-59 - March 25, 2012) and Syracuse (74-71 - March 28, 2012) in the WNIT.
James Madison dished out 20 assists, its second game this season with 20-plus assists, having recorded 21 against Queens on Nov. 9.
Stephenson is the second Duke to record 10-plus helpers in a game during Head Coach Sean O'Regan's tenure (2016-Pres.). Caroline Germond dished out 10 assists in an 8-79 victory versus Troy on Jan. 21, 2023.
The Dukes shot 8-of-19 (.421) from behind the arc. JMU is 19-3 (.864) since joining the Sun Belt when going .400 or better from three.

Up Next
The Dukes will conclude their time at the Daytona Beach Classic with a tilt against Wisconsin tomorrow at 1:30 p.m., with streaming available on BallerTV.