Big First-Half Run Leads JMU Past Elon 89-60

Friday, January 30

Harrisonburg, Va.

7 p.m.

James Madison University

18-2, 9-0CAA

Elon

12-8, 5-4CAA

Elon

James Madison

1/30/2015 9:38:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va. – A 20-0 first-half run pushed the James Madison women's basketball team past Elon 89-60 on Friday night at the JMU Convocation Center in Colonial Athletic Association play.

JMU improved to 9-0 in Colonial Athletic Association and 18-2 overall while winning its 20th straight game at the Convo. The Dukes have now won 11 straight regular-season conference games and 24 of their last 25 dating back to last season. Including CAA tournament games, they have won 14 consecutive games against league foes and 27 of their last 28. The Phoenix fell to 12-8 overall with a 5-4 mark in their first season of CAA play.

The 20-0 run started when junior forward Destiny Jones (Miramar, Fla./Archbishop McCarthy) put back an offensive rebound with just under eight minutes remaining in the first half and ended with back-to-back treys from junior guard Precious Hall (Tallahassee, Fla./Maclay School) and freshman guard Hailee Barron (Burlington, Vt./Rice Memorial) with less than three minutes left in the frame.

Hall led all scorers with 18 points, including four three-pointers. She now has 66 treys this year, which is good for ninth-most in a season in JMU history. Hall also added four rebounds, three assists and three steals. Redshirt-senior center Lauren Okafor (Hamden, Conn./Hopkins School (Providence)) recorded her ninth double-double this season, tallying 16 points and 11 rebounds. She also had a season-high three steals.

Junior guard Ashley Perez (Manchester, Conn./Manchester (St. John's)) and redshirt-junior guard Jazmon Gwathmey (Bealeton, Va./Liberty) rounded out the Dukes in double-digits with 15 and 14 points, respectively. Friday's game marked the third straight double-figure performance for Perez and the third straight game that JMU has had four double-figure scorers.

The Dukes were strong defensively, scoring 36 points off 27 Elon turnovers. They also held the Phoenix to 26.9 percent shooting from the field, including an 11:25 span between the two halves without a field goal made.

JMU made their first 17 attempts from the free-throw line, and ended making 23-of-26 (88.5 percent) of charity stripe attempts.

Senior forward Toia Giggetts (Norfolk, Va./Lake Taylor) played in her 124th game in purple and gold, which is tied for 10th most in JMU history.

With an attendance of 2,673, JMU has now had 23 consecutive home crowds of 2,000 or more fans.

Head coach Kenny Brooks now stands at 299 career wins. He is four wins away from the most all-time in JMU women's basketball history as Shelia Moorman holds the current record of 302 victories at the helm of the purple and gold. Brooks goes for his 300th win when the Dukes return to action on Friday, Feb. 6, at Hofstra. Opening tip is set for 7 p.m.