Completed Event: Women's Basketball at Massachusetts on February 8, 2026 , Win , 71, to, 57
WBB
Final
James Madison
71
at Massachusetts
57
James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
JMU Receives Votes in Final USA Today Sports Coaches Poll
4/6/2026 4:15:00 PM | Women's Basketball
NEW YORK – After turning in a 26-9 (14-4 Sun Belt) season that featured James Madison winning the 2026 Sun Belt Conference Women's Basketball Championship and earning a trip to the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship, the Dukes received votes in the final USA Today Sports Coaches Poll on Monday afternoon.
JMU earned one point, placing them as the 10th team outside of the top 25. Head Coach Sean O'Regan's squad has garnered votes in the organization's final poll over the last two seasons, finishing with three points in 2025. Over the last two seasons, the Dukes have ranked as high as the de facto No. 28 team in the country, earning seven points on March 11, 2025.
Meanwhile, with the conclusion of the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship, James Madison came in at No. 43 in the NET Rankings – the highest ranking in program history.
Peyton McDaniel and Ashanti Barnes combined for 47 points, and each recorded double-doubles, as James Madison led wire-to-wire in the Sun Belt title game with a 69-52 victory over Troy inside the Pensacola Bay Center on March 9. McDaniel, who was named the Sun Belt Championship Most Outstanding Player, finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and four steals. Barnes, who joined McDaniel on the All-Tournament Team, added 19 points and 12 rebounds with four dimes.
At the end of the regular season, McDaniel was named an All-Sun Belt First Team member for the second year in a row, and Barnes landed on the Second Team, improving from her Third Team selection in 2024-25. Both Barnes and Bree Robinson earned spots on the Sun Belt All-Defensive Team.
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JMU earned one point, placing them as the 10th team outside of the top 25. Head Coach Sean O'Regan's squad has garnered votes in the organization's final poll over the last two seasons, finishing with three points in 2025. Over the last two seasons, the Dukes have ranked as high as the de facto No. 28 team in the country, earning seven points on March 11, 2025.
Meanwhile, with the conclusion of the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship, James Madison came in at No. 43 in the NET Rankings – the highest ranking in program history.
Peyton McDaniel and Ashanti Barnes combined for 47 points, and each recorded double-doubles, as James Madison led wire-to-wire in the Sun Belt title game with a 69-52 victory over Troy inside the Pensacola Bay Center on March 9. McDaniel, who was named the Sun Belt Championship Most Outstanding Player, finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and four steals. Barnes, who joined McDaniel on the All-Tournament Team, added 19 points and 12 rebounds with four dimes.
At the end of the regular season, McDaniel was named an All-Sun Belt First Team member for the second year in a row, and Barnes landed on the Second Team, improving from her Third Team selection in 2024-25. Both Barnes and Bree Robinson earned spots on the Sun Belt All-Defensive Team.
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Players Mentioned
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