Christmas, Dukes Blitz Hofstra Late in Crucial Win

Saturday, February 13

Harrisonburg, Va.

2 p.m.

James Madison University

12-5,7-1CAA

Hofstra

12-8,8-5CAA

Hofstra

James Madison

2/13/2021 5:58:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score @JMUMBasketball JMU MBB on Instagram Box Score Highlights Photo Gallery

HARRISONBURG, Va. - James Madison trailed for nearly 38 minutes on Saturday afternoon, but used a 13-2 run in the final three minutes to battle its way to a crucial 93-89 win over Hofstra in Colonial Athletic Association men's basketball action at the Atlantic Union Bank Center.

The Dukes (12-5, 7-1 CAA), who have won six straight, fought through a barrage of Hofstra (12-8, 8-5 CAA) three-pointers, as the Pride went a startling 17-of-39 (43.6%) from beyond the arc, using a 23-14 advantage on the boards in the second half to keep Hofstra within range and make their run.

Senior guard Matt Lewis led a balanced attack for the Dukes by stuffing a monster stat line with 20 points, seven assists, five rebounds, three steals and a block across 39 minutes. Sophomore forward Michael Christmas erupted for his best game of the season, racking up 16 points - including 12 in the second half - and eight rebounds, both season highs in just 23 minutes.

Freshman Justin Amadi added 15 points and five boards, while sophomore Julien Wooden had 13 and four.

Despite the Pride's hot shooting, which saw them hit at a 50.8% clip (32-of-63) from the field, including a 16-of-30 mark in the first half, the Dukes never fell behind by more than 12 and kept the deficit at 46-40 heading into halftime.

In the second half, Hofstra would pull ahead by as many as 10 but couldn't shake the Dukes. After the Pride made it 81-75 with 3:35 to play, JMU started its run with seven straight points, capped by a Christmas three-pointer from the left wing that gave the Dukes their first lead of the game with 1:44 to play.

The Dukes would stretch the lead to as high as 90-84 with a pair of fast break dunks, but a final Hofstra trey made it a one-possession game. The teams traded free throws before the Pride committed a pair of lane violations with 2.4 seconds left to seal the victory.

Tareq Coburn and Jalen Ray led the charge for Hofstra, scoring 28 and 26 points, respectively, while knocking down five three-pointers each.

QUOTING COACH BYINGTON
"What a great win. It's hard to say much else about it - I'm just proud of the guys. It's tough to beat a team that played at the level that Hofstra played at this afternoon. They shot the ball incredibly well and for our guys to not get down and keep believing is really difficult. Our guys' response - I'm really happy for them. They needed something like that. I gave them a couple minutes to enjoy it and now we have another tough one tomorrow."

QUICK HITS
- Freshman Terrence Edwards provided crucial minutes and moments down the stretch, tallying nine points, four rebounds and an assist in 18 minutes of turnover-free basketball.
- The victory was the 150th of Mark Byington's head coaching career.
- The Dukes' bench proved crucial, outscoring Hofstra's bench by a 37-14 margin, including a staggering 25-0 gap in the second half.
- Senior Matt Lewis racked up seven assists on the day, moving him into sole possession of eighth place in program history with 339 in his career. David Dupont (1979-83) sits ahead of him in seventh with 349.

UP NEXT
The Dukes will be back in action quickly, playing host to the second leg of the weekend series on Sunday afternoon as the Pride returns to the Atlantic Union Bank Center for another 2 p.m. battle.