WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PULLS AWAY FROM UNC WILMINGTON 72-50

Sunday, January 23

Harrisonburg, Va.

James Madison University

10-6, 3-4

UNCW

4-12, 1-6

North Carolina Wilmington

James Madison

1/23/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Game Statistics

HARRISONBURG, Va., Jan. 23, 2005 –- James Madison pulled away from North Carolina Wilmington for good late in the second half and recorded a 72-50 win over the Seahawks in Colonial Athletic Association women's basketball Sunday afternoon at the JMU Convocation Center.

The Dukes improved to 10-6 overall and 3-4 in the CAA, while UNCW dropped to 4-12 overall and 1-6 in league play. The Seahawks are winless (0-9) on the road this season and have lost six straight games.

JMU led by as many as 10 (19-9 at 10:21) in the opening half, but UNCW used an 8-2 run to cut the deficit to two, 23-21, with 3:20 left.

The Dukes held a 32-23 halftime advantage and increased their lead to 39-25 at 18:15. JMU outscored UNCW 16-4 over the final 3:07 of the first half and the first 1:45 of the second half.

But the Seahawks ran off 12 straight points to pull back to within two, 39-37, with 13:26 to play.

JMU responded by outscoring UNCW 10-2 over a span of 1:48 to get the lead up to 10 (49-39) at the 10:46 mark.

UNCW red-shirt freshman Meagan Samis (Smyrna, Ga./Wheeler) knocked down two free throws at 10:29, then scored on a layup at 9:12, to narrow the JMU lead to six (49-43).

However, JMU then outscored the Seahawks 23-4 over an eight-minute span to finally put the game away. Freshman Tamera Young (Wilmington, N.C./Laney) scored 11 of those points and hit three three-pointers during the run. Freshman Jasmin Lawrence (Queens, N.Y./Francis Lewis) capped the scoring spurt with a three-pointer with 55 seconds to play, giving JMU a 72-47 lead.

Samis led all players with 22 points and had a team-high seven rebounds. She was the only UNCW player in double figures.

Young led JMU with 17 points, was four-for-six from three-point range and grabbed nine rebounds.

Sophomore Meredith Alexis (Hanover Township, Pa./Bishop Hoban) had her seventh double-double of the season with 13 points and a game-high 12 rebounds in only 21 minutes of play.

Also in double figures for JMU was red-shirt senior Mary Beth Culbertson (Havertown, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) with a season-high 12 points, all from three-point range, where she was four-for five.

Senior Krystal Brooks (Brownsville, Pa./Brownsville) finished with 11 points.

JMU had its best three-point shooting of the year, hitting 10 of 15 attempts. The Dukes were one short of the school and Convocation Center records for three-point field goals.