JMU RALLIES FOR 76-68 MEN'S BASKETBALL WIN AT TOWSON

Thursday, February 9

Towson, Md.

TBA

James Madison University

5-17 (2-12CAA)

Towson

10-13 (6-8CAA)

James Madison

Towson

2/9/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

TOWSON, Md., Feb. 9, 2006 – James Madison put five players in double figures in scoring and got the game's final 12 points in rallying for a 76-68 victory at Towson Thursday in men's Colonial Athletic Association basketball.

The Dukes trailed 68-64 before getting two three-point field goals and hitting on six straight free throws during the final 2:15 to secure their second straight win.

Senior guard Daniel Freeman (Waynesboro, Va./Waynesboro) started the JMU rally with a three-pointer with 2:15 to play, and freshman forward Kyle Swanston (Spring Hill, Fla./Hernando) put JMU in front to stay, 70-68, with a three-point field goal with 1:15 remaining.

The Dukes then got two free throws from senior guard Jomo Belfor (Mount Vernon, N.Y./Mount Vernon) at the 47.1- and 23.8-second marks and two from Swanston with 11.7 seconds to play.

Towson, which led by as many as nine points during the final half, had only one field goal during the final seven minutes and but two during the 9:45.

The Tigers' Gary Neal, a 27-points-per-game scorer who had 40 points when the teams met in January, didn't have a field goal during the final half and finished with but 21 points after having 17 at halftime.

Swanston had career highs of 18 points and six assists to lead the Dukes. He had 13 first-half points and three three-point field goals overall.

Freeman added 17 points, freshman forward Juwann James (Jacksonville, Fla./Raines) 14 points, Belfor 12 points and senior forward David Cooper (Manchester, N.H./Manchester Central) 10 points and a career-high 11 rebounds for the Dukes.

Towson led 38-37 at halftime and was up 58-47 with 9:45 left.

JMU, which beat Delaware at home Monday (Feb. 6) returns to action Saturday (Feb. 11) in a 7 p.m. home game with CAA opponent William & Mary.