JMU Prepares for Saturday Tilt Against Tribe

Saturday, January 31

Harrisonburg, Va.

4 p.m.

James Madison University

William & Mary

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1/30/2015 9:33:00 AM | Men's Basketball

2014-15 JMU MEN'S BASKETBALL

GAME #23

13-9 (6-3 CAA)

JMU Game Notes

James Madison vs. William and Mary
JMU Convocation Center (6,426) – Harrisonburg, Va.
Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015 - 4 p.m.
TV: Comcast SportsNet, The Comcast Network, SNY
Live Stats | Live Video | Live Audio
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Twitter: @JMUMBasketball, #JMUDukes

13-7 (7-2 CAA)

W&M Game Notes

Game Plan

James Madison continues its homestand Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. when it hosts in-state foe William and Mary in a televised game on Comcast SportsNet (Mid-Atlantic and Chicago), The Comcast Network (Philadelphia) and SportsNet New York at the JMU Convocation Center.
This game can also be seen online at MadiZONE HD SportsNet, presented by the JMU Alumni Association. The game can also be heard on the JMU/nTelos Wireless Broadcast Network and on the local airwaves at WSVA AM 550 and 92.1 FM beginning at 3:30 p.m.
Saturday's game is sponsored by Sentara RHM. JMU freshmen can receive free food at the game inside the E Gate, courtesy of the freshman class, and at halftime, the Virginia Lottery Game Guy will bring an exciting halftime show to the Convo.

Scouting Report

JMU enters the weekend with a 13-9 overall record and 6-3 mark in the CAA while William and Mary comes to town sporting a 13-7 record and is tied atop the CAA standings at 7-2. The Dukes are 9-5 at the Convo this season while the Tribe holds a 3-7 record away from Williamsburg.
This is the 89th meeting ever between the programs and JMU has a 48-40 advantage in a series dating back to the 1977-78 season. JMU is also 22-14 in games played in Harrisonburg but the Tribe has won the past three meetings, including an 81-73 victory back on Jan. 10 at Kaplan Arena.
In that game, Terry Tarpey recorded W&M's first triple-double in the 110-year history of Tribe basketball after finishing with 18 points, 11 rebounds, a career-high 10 assists and four steals. Marcus Thornton poured in a game-best 27 points after knocking down seven 3-pointers. JMU was paced by Ron Curry's 14 points and it got 13 from both Jackson Kent and Winston Grays.
Last time out for the Dukes, Jackson Kent and Tom Vodanovich recorded career-highs as JMU scored a season-best 88 points in an 88-82 triumph over Delaware on Wednesday. Kent tied his career high with five made threes and he finished with a career-best 19 points and Vodanovich went 7-for-9 from the floor to tally a career-high 17 points while contributing a game-high eight rebounds. Yohanny Dalembert also scored 17 points and Ron Curry produced 15 points and a game-best eight assists.
JMU shot 54.2 percent from the floor, the third-best shooting clip of the season and despite a career-high 31-point performance by Delaware's Marvin King-Davis, JMU got a Curry bucket and a foul to give them the lead for good with 2:54 left and the Dukes went 8-for-8 from the line in the closing minute.
Comparing the two squads for Saturday's game, JMU scores 66.2 points and allows 66.8 to its foes while W&M averages 74.4 points for and 65.2 points against. The Dukes shoot 44.8 percent from the floor and 33.8 percent from long range while holding opponents to 42.4 percent. The Tribe leads the league at 49.5 percent shooting and 40.9 percent from beyond the arc while limiting opponents to 41.7 percent shooting.
Players to watch are JMU's Ron Curry and William and Mary's Marcus Thornton.
Curry leads the team with 11.7 points per game and the CAA's third-best assist total at 4.3 per outing, and he's scored in double figures in eight straight games, allowing him to score 14.6 per conference contest. Curry is one of two reigning CAA Players of the Week after he averaged 23.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals last week in the road trip split at Northeastern and Hofstra. He poured in a career-best 25 points in the win at HU last Saturday.
Thornton is not just one of the top CAA scorers but also among the best in the nation, ranking 24th in D1 with 19.3 points per game. He shoots 44.4 percent from long range, which ranks 17th and his 3.0 treys per outing is 22nd-best in the NCAA. His point total is second in the CAA this year while he ranks fourth in free throw percentage (.840) and 3-point percentage and sixth in shooting percentage (.467).
Following this game, JMU closes out the three-game homestand next Wednesday, Feb. 4 with a 7 p.m. meeting with UNCW.

Previous 10 Meetings between JMU and William and Mary
2014-15: W&M 81, JMU 73 (Jan. 10, 2015 in Williamsburg)
2013-14: W&M 81, JMU 79 (Feb. 2, 2014 in Harrisonburg)
2013-14: W&M 78, JMU 56 (Jan. 18, 2014 in Williamsburg)
2012-13: JMU 72, W&M 67 (March 9, 2013 in Richmond) - CAA Quarterfinals
2012-13: JMU 69, W&M 67 (March 2, 2013 in Williamsburg)
2012-13: JMU 81, W&M 71 (Feb. 6, 2013 in Harrisonburg)
2011-12: JMU 59, W&M 47 (Jan. 26, 2012 Harrisonburg)
2011-12: W&M 68, JMU 61 (Jan. 4, 2012 in Williamsburg)
2010-11: W&M 72, JMU 68 (March 4, 2011 in Richmond) - CAA First Round
2010-11: W&M 73, JMU 67 (Feb. 2, 2011 in Harrisonburg)
2010-11: JMU 84, W&M 79 (Jan. 8, 2011 in Williamsburg)
JMU leads 48-40 (JMU leads 22-14 in Harrisonburg)