JMU Rallies Late to Edge Montana State, 65-62

Friday, November 24

Cancun, Mexico

9 p.m.

James Madison University

5-2,0-0Sun Belt

Montana State

3-3,0-0Big Sky

James Madison

Montana St.

11/24/2023 11:45:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

CANCUN, Mexico – Redshirt sophomore Peyton McDaniel knocked down a go-ahead three-pointer with 11 seconds remaining to push James Madison past Montana State 65-62 at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya on Friday night.

JMU (5-2) saw three players score in double figures, led by redshirt junior Jamia Hazell with 16, followed by McDaniel (14) and junior Ashanti Barnes (12).

Eleven of Hazell's 16 points came in the fourth quarter, including seven in the final 1:47 of play. For her efforts, she was named to the Cancun Challenge Riviera All-Tournament Team.

McDaniel registered her third career double-double with 11 rebounds to go along with her scoring output. Barnes' offensive production marked a Division I career high. Redshirt junior Steph Ouderkirk dished out four assists, while junior Mikaya Tynes pulled down a career-high six boards.

Katelynn Limardo and Lexi Deden tied for the team lead in points (14) for MSU (3-3). Natalie Picton and Taylor Jansenn (10) also recorded double-digit outings.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter

JMU opened with a 6-2 lead before MSU went on a 7-0 run to make it 9-6 Bobcats at the 5:05 mark.
The Dukes closed out the first frame with a 12-2 spurt for a 20-14 advantage.
Barnes scored eight points in the period, highlighted by a pair of three-pointers.

Second Quarter

James Madison held its six-point cushion with a score of 26-20 at the media timeout.
Montana State cut the deficit to two (22-20) in the early going but did not get any closer for the remainder of the quarter.
Redshirt junior Steph Ouderkirk knocked down a jumper from the left wing at the buzzer to give the Dukes a 33-28 lead heading into the intermission.

Third Quarter

A Hazell jumper made it 35-28 early, however, the Bobcats responded with an 11-2 run leading up to the media timeout.
Montana State made a physical layup to build a 43-38 lead at the 2:07 mark.
Graduate student Carole Miller connected on a triple with an assist from sophomore Chloe Sterling as the Dukes trailed 46-43 with one quarter to play.

Fourth Quarter

The Bobcats found themselves ahead 56-50 with 4:54 on the clock.
Hazell knocked one home from behind the arc at 1:47 to tie the game, 58-58, at the 1:47 mark.
MSU's Madison Hall made a jumper at 0:16 to give Montana State a 61-60 edge.
On the ensuing JMU possession, McDaniel registered the dagger with a triple at 0:11 to make it 63-61.
The Dukes locked in defensively for a 65-62 win.

GAME NOTES

James Madison held an advantage over Montana State in bench points (26-12) and second chance points (12-6) and tied in points in the paint (24-24).
The Dukes knocked down eight three-pointers, the second-most by the team this season.
JMU grabbed 46 rebounds to MSU's 39, marking the sixth time the program has won the rebounding battle in 2023-24 and the fifth time finishing with 45+.

2023 Cancun Challenge – Riviera Tournament - All-Tournament Team
MVP - Lauren Jensen – Creighton
Jamia Hazell – James Madison
Tonie Morgan – Georgia Tech
Lexi Deden – Montana State
Julia Ayrault – Michigan State

UP NEXT
The Dukes return to the commonwealth for a matchup against the Liberty Flames on Friday, Dec. 1. Action in Lynchburg is scheduled for 12 p.m. inside Liberty Arena.