Dukes Hunt for Home Win Against South Alabama

Thursday, January 22

Harrisonburg, Va.

7 p.m.

James Madison University

South Alabama

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1/20/2026 4:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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Game 20
Opponent: South Alabama
Date: Thurs., January 22
Tipoff: 7 pm (eastern)
Location: Harrisonburg, Va.
Arena: Atlantic Union Bank Center
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: WSVA 92.1 FM | 550 AM

DUKES HOST SOUTH ALABAMA TO BEGIN WEST SWING

James Madison men's basketball is set to host the South Alabama Jaguars on Thursday, Jan. 22, at 7 p.m. inside the Atlantic Union Bank Center.
JMU enters this game at 9-10 and 2-5 in Sun Belt Conference play. The Dukes dropped a pair of road games at App State and Marshall last week, while South Alabama is 13-6 and 4-3 in league play following a home split against Arkansas State and Louisiana.
Thursday's game begins a stretch where JMU will play eight of its next 12 games at home. The Dukes are 6-1 inside the Atlantic Union Bank Center this season.

LAST TIME OUT

James Madison men's basketball led by 10 in the second half, but Marshall mounted a late comeback to down the Dukes, 77-72, on Saturday afternoon at the Cam Henderson Center.
JMU (9-10, 2-5 Sun Belt) scored 19 points in the first six minutes of the second half to race out to a 55-45 lead, but Marshall (12-7, 4-3 SBC) stormed back and took a 69-68 lead with three minutes and held off the Dukes in the closing moments for the win.
Cliff Davis scored 20 points with a season-high six three-pointers - all in the second half - to lead JMU in scoring. Bradley Douglas finished with 15 points and four assists off the bench, while Preston Fowler made his first collegiate start and recorded eight points and a career-high 10 boards.
Jalen Speer scored 22 points to lead the Thundering Herd offensively, while Noah Otshudi finished with 17 points.

NUMBERS TO KNOW

7: Thursday's game will mark the seventh home game inside the Atlantic Union Bank Center this season. JMU owns a 6-1 record at home in 2025-26, with its only loss coming to Marshall on Jan. 7. Under Preston Spradlin, the Dukes are 19-3 (.864) at home.
2: Through seven games of Sun Belt Conference play, Cliff Davis ranks second in the league in three-point percentage (22-52, .423). Against Marshall on Jan. 17, Davis hit a season-high six threes and finished with 20 points - his second 20-point game of the 2025-26 season.

ON THE AIRWAVES

Thursday's game will stream on ESPN+ with Curt Dudley (PxP). Kirby Dean (analyst), and Piper Hepler (sideline).
The game will also be on the radio on WSVA 92.1 FM | 550 AM with Dave Riggert. Coverage will begin 30 minutes prior to tip.

LAST TIME VS. SOUTH ALABAMA

James Madison men's basketball fell to South Alabama, 77-49, on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024 at Mitchell Arena to open Sun Belt Conference play.
JMU fell to 6-6 overall and 0-1 in Sun Belt games, while South Alabama improved to 8-4 and 1-0 in league play. The Jaguars shot 51.8 percent from the floor and forced 15 JMU turnovers, scoring 24 points off the Dukes' miscues.
Bryce Lindsay (12) and Elijah Hutchins-Everett (10) scored in double figures for the Dukes, while Mark Freeman led the JMU with four assists. As a team, the Dukes shot a season-low 29.1 percent from the floor.

SCOUTING SOUTH ALABAMA

South Alabama enters this game with a record of 13-6. The Jaguars are 4-3 in Sun Belt Conference play after dropping their last game at home to Louisiana last Saturday.
The Jaguars play a zone defense, which leads to opponents shooting threes at a high rate. As of Jan. 19, USA's opponents attempt 63 percent of their shots from the three-point line, the highest percentage in Division I college basketball.
Despite opponents shooting a high rate of threes, USA's opponent three-point percentage of 30.9 ranks as the lowest in the conference.
Chaze Harris leads the team and the Sun Belt in scoring, averaging 18.1 points per game. Harris has seven games with 20 or more points and two over 30, which include a pair of 38-point games against ULM on Dec. 17 and vs. Arkansas State on Jan. 15.
Adem Olsen (16) and Peyton Law (12.8) also score in double figures for the Jags.
South Alabama is second in the Sun Belt in scoring defense, allowing 68.0 points per game. The Jaguars' opponent field goal percentage of 37.9 also ranks as the best in the league.

LOCKING DOWN THE BANK

The Atlantic Union Bank Center has been the home of James Madison men's and women's basketball since the 2020-21 season.
During that span, JMU has gone 63-17 (.789) overall and is 6-1 in home games this season. Under Head Coach Preston Spradlin, the Dukes are 19-3 inside the AUBC.
Against Sun Belt foes, the Dukes are 23-6 (.793) and have just two losses the past two seasons in conference play at home.
Against non-conference opponents, the Dukes are 32-3 (.914) and finished non-con play this season with a 5-0 record.
Last year, JMU's lone loss at home to a non-conference team came to George Mason (66-61) on Nov. 29.
JMU finished the 2024-25 campaign with a 13-2 record inside the AUBC, only losing to George Mason (66-61) on Nov. 29 and App State (58-50) on Jan. 18.
In 2023-24, JMU finished 14-1 at home, its only loss coming to App State (59-55) on Jan. 13, 2024.