Barnes, McDaniel Notch Double-Double; Dukes Outlast Southern Miss

Friday, January 24

Harrisonburg, Va.

7 p.m.

James Madison University

16-4,8-0Sun Belt

Southern Miss

6-13,2-6Sun Belt

Southern Miss.

James Madison

Barnes, McDaniel Notch Double-Double; Dukes Outlast Southern Miss

1/24/2025 11:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

HARRISONBURG, Va. – Leading 42-40 heading into the final quarter, James Madison held Southern Miss to 1-of-12 (.083) from the field in the final frame to pull away with a 62-47 win over the Lady Eagles in Sun Belt Conference women's basketball action on Friday night inside the Atlantic Union Bank Center.

JMU (16-4, 8-0 SBC) used 20 offensive rebounds to score 21 second-chance points for its eighth consecutive victory and improve to 8-0 in league play. Meanwhile, Southern Miss (6-13, 2-6 SBC) shot a season-low 31.6 percent (18-of-57) from the field and struggled from behind the arc, finishing 3-of-19 (.158).

Ashanti Barnes poured in a game-best 22 points and grabbed a Division I career-high 15 rebounds for her second double-double of the season and fourth at the Division I level. Peyton McDaniel also notched a double-double, recording 14 points and 12 boards to go along with six steals and two blocks. Kseniia Kozlova added nine points and five rebounds, while Annalicia Goodman chipped in with seven points and seven rebounds off the bench. Jamia Hazell finished with seven points on a 3-of-6 (.500) shooting night.

For Southern Miss, Melyia Grayson recorded a double-double of 17 points and 14 rebounds, pacing the Lady Eagles in both categories. Reserves Je'Mya Evans and Mikaylah Manley pitched in with nine and eight points, respectively.

How It Happened
First Quarter – JMU 20, Southern Miss 16

Trailing by five (7-2) early, Southern Miss fought back to tie the game at 11 at the first media timeout.
Goodman scored seven points for the Dukes as part of a 7-0 run to take a 20-16 lead through 20 minutes of action.

Second Quarter – JMU 31, Southern Miss 27

The Dukes' scoring spurt continued as the lead grew to 11 (27-16) at the 6:19 mark.
After Barnes converted on a second-chance layup to make it 29-22 with 4:10 on the clock, JMU failed to make another field goal for the remainder of the half.

Third Quarter – JMU 42, Southern Miss 40

The Lady Eagles held JMU to 5-of-20 (.250) from the field and 1-of-6 (.167) from three to trail by two after three.

Fourth Quarter – JMU 62, Southern Miss 47

The Dukes responded defensively by not allowing a Southern Miss score until the 5:17 mark to hold on to a 48-42 lead.
The Lady Eagles went 0-for-7 from three and were out-rebounded 15-to-4.

Game Notes

The win marked the Dukes' eighth straight –the team's longest winning streak since recording 13 consecutive victories from Nov. 23, 2022, to Jan. 14, 2023.
The last time JMU started 8-0 or better in conference play was during the 2017-18 campaign when Head Coach Sean O'Regan's squad began the season 10-0 as members of the Colonial Athletic Association.
James Madison leads Southern Miss 4-0 in the all-time series.
JMU held an advantage in points in the paint (30-22), second chance points (21-4), fast break points (17-7) and points off turnovers (13-10).
Barnes and McDaniel both earned double-doubles, marking back-to-back games in which the Dukes have had two players record double-doubles. McDaniel finished 19 points and 14 rebounds, while Kozlova registered 12 points and 10 boards at Coastal Carolina on Jan. 18.
The Dukes' 55 rebounds tied for their most this season, having previously wrangled in 55 boards in a 102-69 win over Gardner-Webb on Nov. 17.
JMU's 30.6 percent clip from the field is the program's lowest field percentage in a win since the Dukes shot 17-of-66 (.258) in a 56-51 triumph over Delaware on March 9, 2019.
The Dukes held the Lady Eagles to 47 points, which tied their fewest points scored in a game this season. On Jan. 2, ODU defeated Southern Miss, 65-47 in Hattiesburg, Miss.
James Madison tied its season low of nine turnovers, previously recording nine in its Sun Belt season-opener against Troy on Dec. 29, 2024.