Efficient Shooting Leads Dukes Past Coastal Carolina, Advance to Sun Belt Title Game

Sunday, March 9

Pensacola, Fla.

12:30 p.m. ET (11:30 a.m. CT)

James Madison University

28-4,18-0Sun Belt

Coastal Carolina

23-8,12-6Sun Belt

Coastal Carolina

James Madison

Efficient Shooting Leads Dukes Past Coastal Carolina, Advance to Sun Belt Title Game

3/9/2025 3:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

PENSACOLA, Fla. – James Madison shot a season-best 54.5 percent (36-for-66) from the field and saw five Dukes score in double figures to roll past fourth-seeded Coastal Carolina with an 89-65 victory in the semifinals of the Sun Belt Women's Basketball Championship on Sunday afternoon inside the Pensacola Bay Center.

The Dukes (28-4, 18-0 SBC) poured in 48 points in the paint and received 27 points from its bench to upend the Chanticleers (23-8, 12-6 SBC).

JMU will advance to its third consecutive Sun Belt title game and 21st conference championship game in program history. The Dukes have captured 20 consecutive victories, its longest winning streak since winning 20 straight from Jan. 8 through March 12, 2016. Additionally, James Madison has won at least 28 games for the sixth time in program history.

Peyton McDaniel led all players with 24 points and 12 rebounds for her 13th double-double of the season, and tied her career high with three assists. Ashanti Barnes added 14 points and a game-high five assists, while Annalicia Goodman scored a season-high 13 points off the bench. Jamia Hazell and Ro Scott each finished with 11 points, shooting a combined 9-for-17 (.529) from the field. Kseniia Kozlova registered eight points and a team-best three steals in the win.

Kristin Williams paced Coastal with 13 points, knocking down 4-of-9 (.444) from long range. Jaylen Ponder chipped in with 11 points, a team-high six boards and a game-best four steals. Alancia Ramsey posted 11 points, while Riley Stack recorded nine points and four rebounds off the bench.

How It Happened
First Quarter – JMU 25, CCU 18

JMU connected on four consecutive shots from the field, highlighted by a four-point play from Barnes, to give the Dukes a 17-11 lead at the 3:15 mark.
Barnes finished with eight points, while Scott chipped in with five off the bench as JMU shot 9-for-18 (.500) from the field in the opening frame.

Second Quarter – JMU 46, CCU 36

The Dukes used a quick 6-0 run early in the period to put JMU ahead by 10 (31-21) with 7:35.
McDaniel led all players with 11 points in the period on 5-of-8 (.625) from the floor.

Third Quarter – JMU 69, CCU 53

Both teams made their last four shots but the Dukes maintained a 57-46 advantage at the media timeout.
JMU's efficient shooting continued as it finished the frame with a 9-of-12 (.750) clip from the field.

Fourth Quarter – JMU 89, CCU 65

The Dukes went 9-for-16 (.563) from the field as Hazell connected on 3-for-4 (.740) for six points in the fourth.
Coastal failed to score in the final 3:15 and committed three turnovers in that span, while the Dukes finished on an 8-0 run.

Game Notes

JMU will be making its 21st appearance in a conference title game and its third consecutive season since joining the Sun Belt Conference in 2022.
McDaniel's 24 points marked her ninth outing of 20-plus points this season and the 28th of her career. She also surpassed 1,600 career points, sitting at 1,613 for 10th in the program record book.
The Dukes' 89 points are the third-most this season and the 10th time they have scored 80 or more in the 2024-25 campaign.
JMU held an advantage in points in the paint (48-26), bench points (27-20), fast-break points (16-6), points off turnovers (14-13) and second-chance points (10-7).
James Madison has shot 50.0 percent or better from the field five times this season.