JMU Battles to 64-57 Win at Towson for Fifth Straight Victory

Friday, January 22

Towson, Md.

2 p.m.

James Madison University

12-5, 5-1CAA

Towson

5-12, 2-4CAA

James Madison

Towson

JMU Battles to 64-57 Win at Towson for Fifth Straight Victory

1/22/2016 5:37:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

TOWSON, Md. – James Madison women's basketball powered to a 64-57 win at Towson on Friday afternoon, pushing its win streak to five games. JMU is 5-1 in Colonial Athletic Association action and 12-5 overall. Towson is 5-12 overall with a 2-4 mark in CAA games.

The Dukes led by as many as 16 points, but the Tigers chipped the lead back to a single possession with less than a minute to play (60-57). With the ball in Towson's hands, senior guard Angela Mickens made a big defensive stop in the left corner to regain possession for the Dukes, and both redshirt senior guard Jazmon Gwathmey and sophomore guard Hailee Barron sank a pair of free throws to clinch the win.

Gwathmey finished with a game-high 28 points, her fifth consecutive performance of 20 points or more. Barron posted a career-high 17 points, including 15 points from a career-best five makes from beyond the arc. JMU and Towson were on par in shooting percentage at 32.2 percent and 32.8 percent, respectively, but JMU won the 3-point battle 32.0 percent to 23.8 percent. The Dukes almost made 19 more trips to the charity stripe, securing 18 points at the line (18-29) compared to the Tigers' eight makes (8-10).

Mickens dished out eight assists on the afternoon to surpass Dawn Evans' mark of 562 and take over third place on the JMU all-time assists chart at 570. The all-time leader in career assists is Jess Cichowicz, who tallied 670 for the purple and gold.

On the defensive end, junior guard Da'Lishia Griffin secured a career-high 21 rebounds. Freshman center Kayla Cooper-Williams made it four straight games in double-digit rebounds with 10 boards. As a team, the Dukes outrebounded the Tigers 51-39.

The Dukes have tallied double-digit blocks in back-to-back games, notching 10 today after doing the same against Northeastern last Sunday. Cooper-Williams led the JMU block party, stuffing five Towson attempts to bring her season total to 36. She is just one blocked shot away from equaling the JMU freshman record of 37, set by Hollee Franklin in 1998-99.

CAREER HIGHS

Junior forward Da'Lishia Griffin pulled down 21 rebounds, surpassing her previous best of 20 rebounds, set at William & Mary on Jan. 3, 2016.
Sophomore guard Hailee Barron posted 17 points, beating her previous mark of 11 points which she tied against Northeastern last Sunday.
Freshman forward Savannah Felgemacher tied her career high with two blocks.

ON STREAK(S)

JMU has won five straight games.
Redshirt senior guard Jazmon Gwathmey has scored in double figures for eight straight games.
Gwathmey has scored 20 points or more in five straight games.
Freshman center Kayla Cooper-Williams has secured double-digit rebounds in four straight games.

CLIMBING THE CHARTS

Freshman center Kayla Cooper-Williams finished with five blocks, pushing her season total to 36. She is two away from setting the record for freshmen (current: 37, Hollee Franklin).
Senior point guard Angela Mickens had eight assists, climbing to third on the all-time charts at 570.

UP NEXT
The Dukes are slated to play at College of Charleston on Sunday, Jan. 24, at 2 p.m. Stay tuned to JMUSports.com and follow @JMUWBasketball on Twitter for any schedule changes due to inclement weather.