JMU Hosts Georgia State in New Year's Matchup

HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison women's basketball will open the New Year at home for a Thursday tilt against Georgia State. Action inside the Atlantic Union Bank is set for 2 p.m. and will stream on ESPN+. Since the Dukes joined the Sun Belt in 2022, all six meetings against the Panthers have been decided by 10 points or fewer.

LAST TIME VS. THE PANTHERS

JMU sank 16-of-18 (.889) from the free throw line in the fourth quarter to pull away from Georgia State in an 80-74 victory inside the Atlantic Union Bank Center on Feb. 26, 2025.
Trailing 62-60 with 5:22 remaining, Jamia Hazell went coast-to-coast and scored on a driving layup with contact, then converted on the and-one opportunity to give JMU the lead which they did not relinquish the rest of the way.
Peyton McDaniel helped seal the deal in the final period, knocking down 8-of-10 (.800) from the charity stripe to tally 10 points. In total, the Dukes shot 29-for-35 (.829) from the line – the most free throw attempts and makes for the team this season.

THE DUKES VS. THE SUN BELT

James Madison holds a 100-70 (.588) record against current Sun Belt Conference foes and is 51-13 (.810) since joining the league in 2022.
Moreover, the Dukes are 45-11 (.804) in regular-season league matchups, and had won 21 consecutive regular-season tilts prior to their 83-74 overtime loss to Marshall on Dec. 20, 2025.
The last time James Madison lost to a Sun Belt team in regulation during 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.
JMU has encountered Old Dominion more than any other SBC opponent with 85 meetings, with the Dukes trailing 53-32 in the all-time series. Additionally, ODU is the only team in the league with a winning record against JMU.
The Dukes have never lost to Louisiana (5-0), Southern Miss (4-0), South Alabama (3-0), Texas State (3-0), or ULM (2-0).

NCAA RANKING SUMMARY

Through Dec. 28 games, JMU owns five top-75 marks nationally: rebounds per game (32nd - 42.71), defensive rebounds per game (39th - 28.7), blocks per game (59th - 4.4), rebound margin (64th - +6.6) and offensive rebounds per game (T-73rd - 14.0).
Individually, Peyton McDaniel is tied for 18th in points (258), while Ashanti Barnes is tied for 15th in rebounds (132), Brianna McLeod is tied for 15th in blocks (29), Zakiya Stephenson is tied for 41st in assists (63) and Bree Robinson is tied for 43rd in steals (34).

HOME SWEET HOME

The Dukes went 16-2 inside the Atlantic Union Bank Center in 2024-25, marking consecutive seasons with at least a dozen home victories. Additionally, the 16 home wins were the most by the program since the 2018-19 season when James Madison produced an 18-1 record at the Convocation Center.
JMU is 60-23 (.723) since the Atlantic Union Bank Center opened at the start of the 2020-21 season.
Moreover, Head Coach Sean O'Regan is 120-33 (.784) when playing in Harrisonburg.

SEASON TICKETS

Tickets for the 2025-26 JMU Women's Basketball season are still available - both season tickets and single-game tickets can be found here.

PARKING
Reserved Parking

All parking pass holders — both Spot-Specific and Reserved — will enter through the North Entrance of the Ballard Parking Deck. All reserved parking opens two (2) hours before tip-off.

General Parking

General Parking is located in the adjacent surface lots (C12, D3, and R4) as well as the South Entrance of the Ballard Parking Deck. General parking is available beginning two (2) hours before game time. General parking is free of charge, available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Calendar

Players Mentioned

Ashanti Barnes

Peyton McDaniel

Brianna McLeod

Bree Robinson

Zakiya Stephenson

JMU Footer

Scoreboard

Calendar

Completed Event: Women's Basketball at Massachusetts on February 8, 2026 , Win , 71, to, 57

Completed Event: Women's Basketball at App State on February 11, 2026 , Win , 60, to, 53

Completed Event: Women's Basketball at Old Dominion on February 14, 2026 , Win , 87, to, 53

Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus App State on February 21, 2026 , Win , 74, to, 48

Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus Old Dominion on February 25, 2026 , Win , 77, to, 55

Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus Coastal Carolina on February 27, 2026 , Win , 72, to, 56

Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus No. 12 South Alabama on March 7, 2026 , Win , 79, to, 54

Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus No. 1 Georgia Southern on March 8, 2026 , Win , 81, to, 53

Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus No. 2 Troy on March 9, 2026 , Win , 69, to, 52

Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus No. 5 Kentucky on March 21, 2026 , Loss , 56, to, 71

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