TOWSON EDGES JMU IN MEN'S BASKETBALL

Saturday, January 3

Towson, Md.

7 p.m.

James Madison University

8-6, 0-2CAA

Towson

6-8, 1-1CAA

James Madison

Towson

1/3/2009 5:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

TOWSON, Md., Jan. 3, 2009 ? Towson's Junior Hairston hit two free throws with 46 seconds play to give his team its only second-half lead and a 58-57 Colonial Athletic Association men's basketball victory over James Madison Saturday.

JMU had a 33-27 halftime lead and after Towson tied the score early during the final period went on to lead by eight points midway through the final half. However, the Dukes didn't have a field goal during the final five minutes and didn't score during the final three minutes.

The Dukes fell to 8-6 overall and to 0-2 in the CAA while Towson improved to 6-8 overall and to 1-1 in the conference.

JMU turned the ball overall on the possession after Hairston put Towson ahead, but the Dukes got the ball back when the Tigers' Robert Nwankwo missed two free throws with 21 seconds to play. JMU took timeouts with 17 seconds and four seconds left, but freshman forward Andrey Semenov (St. Petersburg, Russia/Blue Ridge School) couldn't connect on a three-point field goal try just before the final horn.

Towson pulled into a 35-35 tie with 16:46 left in the game, but JMU got field goals from senior forward Juwann James (Jacksonville, Fla./Raines) and Semenov to lead 39-35. James, who finished with a career-high 24 points in 28 minutes, had three more field goals and Semenov another as JMU upped the lead to 47-39 at 11:45.