Balanced Scoring Leads Dukes to 77-60 Victory at Georgia Southern

Wednesday, January 29

Statesboro, Ga.

6 p.m.

James Madison University

18-4,10-0Sun Belt

Georgia Southern

9-13,2-8Sun Belt

James Madison

Ga. Southern

Ashanti Barnes vs Georgia Southern 012925

Balanced Scoring Leads Dukes to 77-60 Victory at Georgia Southern

1/29/2025 8:45:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

STATESBORO, Ga. – Ashanti Barnes (15 points, 13 rebounds) and Peyton McDaniel (10 points, 10 rebounds) registered double-doubles, while four Dukes finished in double-figures as James Madison women's basketball rolled past Georgia Southern in a wire-to-wire 77-60 win on Wednesday night inside the new Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center.

JMU (18-4, 10-0 SBC) out-rebounded the Eagles (9-13, 2-8 SBC) 49-to-33 for its 10th consecutive victory and remain perfect in Sun Belt play. The Dukes are 10-0 to begin conference action for the first time since starting 10-0 in the 2017-18 campaign as members of the Colonial Athletic Association.

The effort from Barnes and McDaniel marked the team's fourth-straight game with multiple players recording double-doubles. Barnes also dished out a Division I career-high six assists and knocked down multiple threes for the first time this season. McDaniel had an efficient 4-for-8 (.500) shooting night and pulled down all 10 boards on the defensive end on her way to her fourth consecutive double-double.

Ro Scott led all players with 17 points, connecting on 3-of-5 (.600) from deep and adding a pair of helpers. Kseniia Kozlova finished 6-of-9 (.667) for 13 points to go along with a block. Jamia Hazell chipped in with eight points, while Bree Robinson notched seven points and four rebounds off the bench.

Indya Green paced the Eagles with 14 points and 10 rebounds. McKenna Eddings (12) and Nicole Gwynn (10) finished in double figures, while Bukky Akinsola registered four assists in the loss.

How It Happened
First Quarter – JMU 17, GS 12

JMU went ahead 5-0 in the opening 35 seconds and led 7-4 at the first media timeout.
Six Dukes scored in the frame, led by Kozlova with four points.

Second Quarter – JMU 43, GS 28

The Eagles utilized a 6-0 run that coincided with a 3:05 stretch without a JMU made field goal to trail 23-22 at the 5:59 mark.
JMU hit its stride late in the period, closing on a 12-0 run while the Eagles went scoreless for the final 2:58.
The Dukes sank 11-of-13 (.846) from the line and out-rebounded Georgia Southern 14-to-7.

Third Quarter – JMU 59, GS 44

JMU suffered a 1-for-10 (.100) shooting stretch and a 2:04 scoring drought early in the frame but maintained a 47-37 advantage at the media timeout.
The Eagles continued to threaten with a 14-2 to trail by just five (47-42) with 3:39 left in the half.
Following the GS scoring spurt, the Dukes answered with a 12-2 to wrap up the third.

Fourth Quarter – JMU 77, GS 60

The Dukes shot 7-for-13 (.538) in the final frame to outscore the Eagles 18-16.

Game Notes

The win marked the Dukes' 10th straight – the team's longest winning streak since recording 13 consecutive victories from Nov. 23, 2022, to Jan. 14, 2023.
James Madison is 6-2 in the all-time series against Georgia Southern and has won the last four matchups.
The Dukes have won wire-to-wire for the second time this season, previously doing so in a 93-65 triumph at Marshall on Jan. 15.
JMU held an advantage in points in the paint (32-24), bench points (28-15), fast-break points (15-10) and points off turnovers (11-10).
JMU's 43 second-half points are tied for the third most by the program this season. The Dukes also scored 43 versus Florida on Nov. 29, while the Dukes' season-high is 52 against Gardner Webb on Nov. 17.
With 10 points tonight, McDaniel has 10 consecutive games in double figures, the longest streak of that kind of her career. She had 10-straight double-digit scoring games to end the 2023-24 season, including the postseason.