#1 JMU Topples #5 Delaware, 68-47, to Earn Spot in CAA Title Game

Friday, March 11

Show Place Arena, Upper Marlboro, Md.

1:30 p.m.

James Madison University

26-5

Delaware

16-15

#5 Delaware

#1 James Madison

Jazmon Gwathmey vs Delaware CAA Semifinals

#1 JMU Topples #5 Delaware, 68-47, to Earn Spot in CAA Title Game

3/11/2016 3:23:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. - Redshirt senior guard Jazmon Gwathmey poured in 25 points and senior guard Ashley Perez provided 17 as top-seeded James Madison women's basketball defeated the fifth-seeded Delaware Blue Hens, 68-47, in the 2016 Colonial Athletic Association semifinals at the Show Place Arena on Friday afternoon.

JMU (26-5) never trailed in the contest that last saw a tie score at the 6:31 mark of the first quarter with the Dukes and Blue Hens in an 8-8 knot. JMU used a 10-0 run to take the lead and Delaware never got closer than six points the rest of the game. JMU advances to the CAA Tournament final for the third consecutive year.

Gwathmey (10-of-21) and Perez (6-of-12) combined for eight three-pointers on the day. As a team, the Dukes shot 41.7-percent on 10-for-24 shooting from beyond the arc and didn't allow a single three from Delaware's seven attempts.

On the Dukes' 25 made field goals (25-for-66), senior guard Angela Mickens dished out 12 assists to tie her single-game season high and came up just one short of the single-game CAA Tournament record. She also added eight points in the effort.

JMU took a 10-8 lead on a Perez layup at the 5:53 mark in the first quarter and never looked back. A 12-2 run to end the first half gave the Dukes a double-digit lead and the momentum heading into the break. Eight points from that run came from freshman guard Aneah Young, who turned in her best performance of the season with two three-pointers and a layup in the final 3:15 of the second quarter.

Madison emphasized taking care of the ball and it paid dividends as the Dukes held a 17-8 advantage in turnovers for the game. They also outrebounded the Blue Hens 38-30 which led to a 10-2 advantage in second-chance points.

The Dukes will defend their CAA title tomorrow at 4 p.m. against second-seeded Drexel. Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m. at The Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, Md.

QUOTING HEAD COACH KENNY BROOKS
"It was a really good win. I thought it was a collective effort by our group and that's the way we are, the way we've been built all year long. We have kids that garner certain accolades, but it was definitely a team effort."
For the full postgame press conference, click here.

TIMEOUT TRENDS
The Dukes were the first to score after all four media timeouts in the contest. Gwathmey drained a three coming out of the first quarter break, and sank jumpers after the second and third quarter timeouts. Mickens scored two from the foul line coming out of the fourth quarter stoppage.

PHOTO OF THE DAY
74952

For the full photo gallery, click here.

REACHING THE HIGHS

Freshman guard Aneah Young recorded a career-best eight points on the day, going 2-for-3 from behind the arc.
Young also tied her career blocks with two.
Mickens tied her season-high assists, dishing out 12.

TWEET OF THE DAY

THREE POINT POWER
The Dukes drained 10 three-pointers (10-24) for a 41.7 shooting percentage while the Blue Hens went 0-for 7 from three-point range. This marked the second consecutive game the Dukes have held the Blue Hens without a basket from beyond the arc. Perez scored 15 of her 17 points off of three pointers, going 5-for-8. She was also responsible for eight of the Dukes' first 10 points, going 3-for-4 overall with a 2-for-3 mark from beyond the arc.

PLAY OF THE GAME

For full highlights, click here.

CHART MOVEMENT

Senior point guard Angela Mickens pushed her season assists total to 217, which is still third on the JMU single-season chart. Second place is held by Andrea Benvenuto at 223, and Mickens already holds first place with 250 a season ago.
Mickens pushed her career assists total to 659, which ranks second in JMU history. The all-time record is 670, which is held by Jess Cichowicz.
Redshirt senior guard Jazmon Gwathmey pushed her career point total to 1,517 points and moved into eighth all-time at JMU. She passed Shanna Price (1,496) and teammate Precious Hall (1,506).
Gwathmey also moved into a tie for sixth in single-season field goals made, having sunk 234 from the floor this season. Of those makes, 60 have come from beyond the arc, which is tied for the 12^th-highest single-season total in JMU history.

SERIES STATS

JMU is now 17-12 all-time in the CAA semifinals, having appeared in 29 of 33 semifinal rounds.
JMU is now 5-1 all-time against Delaware in the CAA tournament, including a 3-1 mark in the semifinal round.
The Dukes have won eight consecutive games against the Blue Hens, averaging a 21-point margin.

PREVIOUS CAA FINALS

JMU has won the last two CAA finals games.
The Dukes are 4-3 in the championship game under Head Coach Kenny Brooks.
JMU is 8-8 all-time in the CAA title game.

HEADED TO THE 'SHIP
Top-seeded JMU will compete in the 2016 CAA title game against No. 2 Drexel, the second-ever meeting between the programs in the finals (Drexel leads 1-0). Tipoff for the Dukes' third straight appearance in the CAA final is slated for 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 12 at The Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, Md. Tickets are available here.