Hot Three-Point Shooting by Michigan State Thwarts Dukes

Thursday, November 23

Cancun, Mexico

6:30 p.m.

James Madison University

4-2,0-0Sun Belt

Michigan State

5-0,0-0Big Ten

Michigan St.

James Madison

Hot Three-Point Shooting by Michigan State Thwarts Dukes

11/23/2023 9:45:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

CANCUN, Mexico – Michigan State knocked down 15 three-pointers en route to a 95-69 win over James Madison on Thursday night at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya.

JMU (4-2) was paced by redshirt junior Jamia Hazell with a season-high 19 points and eight rebounds, while classmate Peyton McDaniel chipped in with 13 points. Olivia Mullins and sophomore Chloe Sterling dished out three assists in the loss.

For MSU (5-0), Julia Ayrault registered a double-double with 25 points and 15 boards. Abbey Kimball went 5-for-10 (.500) from deep for 21 points. Tory Ozment (16) and Moira Joiner (11) also scored in double figures.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter

The Spartans led 12-9 at the first media timeout.
MSU's Ayrault connected on a triple at the buzzer to give Michigan State a 19-13 advantage after one.

Second Quarter

The Dukes were scoreless for 3:05 of play before Hazell knocked down a pair of free throws.
Kimball knocked down a three-pointer to give the Spartans a commanding 44-20 lead with 3:45 remaining in the half.
JMU came alive late in the second, going on a 10-2 run to trail 48-32 at the intermission.

Third Quarter

Hazell scored six points early in the period to cut the deficit to 12 (50-38) at the 6:35 mark.
Redshirt junior Amira Williams kept the momentum rolling with an acrobatic layup through two Spartans to make it 51-40 with 5:43 to go.
Michigan State responded with a 20-8 run to close the third for a 71-48 advantage.

Fourth Quarter

MSU led by as many as 31 (92-61) at the 2:54 mark.
The Dukes scored 21 points in the period, with eight JMU players getting on the board.

GAME NOTES

Michigan State's 15 made three-pointers were the most allowed in program history.
JMU held an advantage in points in the paint (34-30), but MSU scored more bench points (27-20), fast break points (16-12) and second chance points (11-4).
The Spartans outrebounded the Dukes 50-38. This is the first time James Madison has lost the rebounding battle since Old Dominion grabbed one more board (36-35) in the Sun Belt Conference semifinals last season on March 5.
Additionally, the program has not allowed a team to come away with 50+ rebounds since Georgia Southern recorded 53 on Jan. 19, 2023. Moreover, 38 rebounds are a season low for JMU.
The loss was James Madison's biggest since dropping a 93-47 affair to North Carolina on Dec. 5, 2021. Michigan State's 95 points are also the most the Dukes have allowed since Maryland put up 101 on Dec.19, 2020.
Hazell's 19 points were the most for her since scoring the same amount versus West Virginia on Dec. 12, 2021.
McDaniel connected on three triples, her first game this season with three or more makes from deep.

UP NEXT
The Dukes will wrap up the Cancun Challenge with a contest against Montana State tomorrow, Nov. 24. The opening tip is slated for 9 p.m. ET and will stream on FloHoops.