Women's Basketball Opens Sun Belt Play at Coastal Carolina

JMU WBB Game Preview vs. Coastal Carolina 121725

Women's Basketball Opens Sun Belt Play at Coastal Carolina

12/16/2025 2:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Watch: ESPN+ ($)Listen Live Stats JMU Notes Coastal Carolina Notes

CONWAY, S.C. – James Madison women's basketball begins Sun Belt Conference play on the road when it heads to Coastal Carolina for a Wednesday night tilt. Action inside the HTC Center is slated for 6 p.m. and will stream on ESPN+.

LAST TIME VS. THE CHANTICLEERS

JMU shot a season-best 54.5% (36-for-66) from the field and saw five Dukes score in double figures to roll past fourth-seeded Coastal Carolina with an 89-65 victory in the semifinals of the Sun Belt Women's Basketball Championship on inside the Pensacola Bay Center on March 9, 2025.
The win sent JMU to its third consecutive Sun Belt title game and 21st conference championship game in program history, while tying the program record for consecutive wins with 20.

THE DUKES VS. THE SBC

James Madison holds a 99-69 (.589) record against current Sun Belt Conference foes and is 50-12 (.806) since joining the conference in 2022.
Moreover, the Dukes are 44-10 (8.15) in regular-season league matchups and have won 20 consecutive regular-season tilts.
The last time James Madison lost to a Sun Belt team in the regular season, App State knocked down 12-of-30 (.400) from three-point range to hold off the Dukes for an 83-79 win inside the Holmes Convocation Center on Feb. 24, 2024.

GAME RECAP VS. NO. 19 NOTRE DAME

James Madison and No. 19 Notre Dame played even for the final three quarters (53-53), however, the Fighting Irish finished the first quarter ahead 25-12 and held on to the lead for a 78-65 victory on Sunday afternoon in front of 4,211 fans – the second-largest crowd ever for a women's basketball game at the Atlantic Union Bank Center.
The Dukes trailed by 20 (56-36) at the 3:31 mark of the third but cut the deficit to nine with 7:40 to go in the fourth. Notre Dame ultimately separated itself by scoring 21 points off 19 JMU turnovers and pouring in 38 paint points.
Ashanti Barnes posted a double-double of 22 points and 13 rebounds, shooting 8-for-17 (.471) from the field and a perfect 6-for-6 from the line. Zakiya Stephenson finished with 11 points and four assists, while Peyton McDaniel knocked down a pair of threes for 10 points. Angela Williams chipped in with eight points, four rebounds and two steals off the bench in 14:33 of action.

NCAA RANKING SUMMARY

Through Dec. 14 games, JMU owns three top-75 marks nationally: defensive rebounds per game (35th - 29.3), rebounds per game (39th - 42.33) and blocks per game (T-58th - 4.4).
Individually, Peyton McDaniel is 10th in points (233), 10th in field goal attempts (185) and tied for 17th in field goals (82).
Additionally, Ashanti Barnes is tied for 14th in rebounds (114), Brianna McLeod is 19th in blocks (24), Zakiya Stephenson is tied for 32nd in assists (57) and Bree Robinson is tied for 50th in steals (28).

ROAD DOGS

The Dukes went 12-2 in true road games and 2-2 in neutral matchups for a 14-4 (.778) record in 2024-25.
Last season, JMU was one of 10 Division I teams with at least a dozen road wins, with Portland (13) being the only program with more.
The Dukes have gone a combined 17-5 (.773) across true road games and neutral site contests over the last two seasons.

NON-CONFERENCE

James Madison's non-conference slate features four teams that competed in the 2025 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: George Mason, Liberty, Texas and Notre Dame.
Meanwhile, four foes finished in the top 50 from the final NET rankings of the 2024-25 season: Texas (3), Notre Dame (4), George Mason (45) and Virginia Tech (47).
Four opponents were voted a top two team in their respective preseason polls: Kent State (1st - Mid-American Conference), George Mason (2nd - A10), Liberty (2nd - CUSA) and Texas (2nd - SEC).
Lastly, Texas (#4) and Notre Dame (#15) were ranked in the AP Top 25 Preseason Poll.