Dukes Explode in Second Half to Best Radford

Saturday, December 11

Harrisonburg, Va.

7 p.m.

James Madison University

9-2,0-0CAA

Radford

4-6,0-0Big South

Radford

James Madison

12/11/2021 11:31:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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HARRISONBURG, Va. - James Madison overcame a sluggish start on Saturday night, erupting in the second half to battle for a 79-70 win over Radford in non-conference men's basketball action at the Atlantic Union Bank Center.

The Dukes, who improved to 9-2 on the season for the first time since the 1986-87 campaign, turned a 41-29 halftime deficit on its head, using full-court defense to force 14 second-half turnovers out of Radford (4-6). JMU also shot 60.7% (17-28) after the break to pick up the win.

Graduate student Takal Molson led four players in double figures with 14 points, while redshirt freshman Justin Amadi picked up eight points of his own to go with 10 rebounds on the evening.

Redshirt freshmen Terell Strickland and Tyree Ihenacho keyed the defensive lockdown after halftime, with Ihenacho adding seven points, five assists, three steals and a block in just 19 minutes of turnover-free ball.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
The Dukes started off on the right foot, taking leads of 10-6 and 14-10 in the early going, but Radford continued battling, never letting JMU go up by more than four.

After a Molson jumper put the Dukes up 26-25, the Highlanders ripped off a 16-3 run to close the half, hitting four three-pointers across that span and going into the break with a 41-29 advantage.

Second Half
The teams traded baskets in the second half, with Radford matching its largest lead of the game with a three-pointer that made the lead 51-37 at the 14:28 mark.

From that moment on, the Dukes' swarming defense took over, with JMU ripping off a staggering 20-2 run over the next 3:54. The Dukes forced five turnovers in that span, with the crowd coming alive throughout and erupting as graduate student Alonzo Sule drilled a three-pointer with 10:56 to play that finally put JMU back on top.

JMU would not trail for the remainder of the contest, but the Highlanders battled back within two with 2:23 to play as the Dukes struggled to knock down free throws. The JMU defense would step up when needed most, however, and the Dukes forced four more turnovers in the final 1:10 to seal the victory.

QUICK HITS
- The Dukes are off to their best start since 1986-87, when they started 10-1.
- JMU has now trailed by double digits in three different victories this season, including a 10-point gap at Eastern Kentucky and a 15-point deficit against Wright State at the Naples Invitational.
- With five assists on Saturday, Tyree Ihenacho became the ninth different JMU player to lead the team in assists in a game.
- Head Coach Mark Byington is now 4-1 against Radford in his career, having won three straight over the Highlanders.
- This already marks JMU's first season with two separate four-game winning streaks since the 2015-16 campaign.

UP NEXT
The Dukes will take the week off after their homestand, getting back to work on Tuesday, Dec. 21, when they open up a five-game road stretch with a matchup at Morgan State. The Bears are currently 4-6 on the season and will face Mount St. Mary's on Dec. 18 prior to facing JMU.