Completed Event: Women's Basketball at Massachusetts on February 8, 2026 , Win , 71, to, 57
WBB
Final
James Madison
71
at Massachusetts
57
James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
Champions Again: The 2025-26 Women’s Basketball Year-In-Review
4/10/2026 4:05:00 PM | Women's Basketball
HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison turned in another historic season, capturing the 2026 Sun Belt Conference Women's Basketball Championship crown and earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship for the 14th time in program history and for the first time since 2023.
BACK ON TOP
THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED
KEY WINS
WINNING STREAK
PEYTON DOES IT ALL
IN THE POLLS
FINAL NCAA RANKING SUMMARY
COACH O
BACK ON TOP
- Peyton McDaniel and Ashanti Barnes combined for 47 points and each recorded double-doubles, as James Madison led wire-to-wire in the Sun Belt title game with a 69-52 victory over Troy inside the Pensacola Bay Center on March 9.
- McDaniel, who was named the Sun Belt Championship Most Outstanding Player, finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and four steals. Barnes, who joined McDaniel on the All-Tournament Team, added 19 points and 12 rebounds with four dimes.
- The Dukes opened the game with a 13-0 run, not allowing the Trojans to score until the 4:45 mark of the first. Holding a four-point lead (34-30) at the intermission, JMU came out strong in the third, with McDaniel scoring eight straight points to force a Troy timeout and grow the Dukes' lead to 48-34 with 5:22 left in the quarter.
- Four consecutive JMU baskets in the fourth – highlighted by a Zakiya Stephenson three – gave the Dukes a 66-44 advantage at the 6:25 mark, their largest lead of the game.
THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED
- As the No. 4 seed in the Sun Belt Women's Basketball Championship, JMU had to win three games in three days to capture the league's tournament title. Despite the uphill battle, the Dukes handily defeated No. 12 South Alabama (79-54, March 7), No. 1 Georgia Southern (81-53, March 8), and No. 2 Troy (69-52, March 9).
- James Madison kicked off its run tournament by shooting a season-best 60.4% (29-of-48) from the field, to go with a 45.0% (9-of-20) from three and 100.0% (12-of-12) effort from the free throw line to fly by South Alabama, 79-54, in the Sun Belt Championship Quarterfinals.
- The Dukes got off to an incredible start – hitting 72.0% (18-of-25) from the floor in the first half, while also holding the Jaguars to just one assist.
- Fourth-seeded James Madison dominated the glass against top-seeded Georgia Southern, winning the rebounding battle 45-16, and the Eagles to 36.7% shooting (18-of-49) from the field for an 81-53 victory in the Sun Belt Championship Semifinals to advance to the title game for the fourth consecutive season.
- The Dukes scored 25 second-chance points, while not allowing Georgia Southern to come away with a single offensive rebound. Meanwhile, Kishyah Anderson – the Sun Belt Player of the Year – was held to 2-of-8 (.250) for eight points in the loss for the regular-season champions.
- JMU was one of five teams to be a four-seed or lower in their conference tournament to earn an AQ into the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship this season, joining Southern (#4 - SWAC), Missouri State (#6 - CUSA), Samford (#6 - SoCon), and UTSA (#6 - American).
- The Dukes held opponents to an average of 53.0 points across the three games of the Sun Belt Championship. Overall, JMU outscored its opponents by a combined 70 points.
KEY WINS
- Following back-to-back losses to Villanova (84-73 – Nov. 16) and No. 4 Texas (95-56 – Nov. 19), the Dukes bounced back in a major way with three consecutive wins over Power 4 opponents in Virginia Tech (65-56 – Nov. 23), Boston College (73-53 – Nov. 28), and Wisconsin (69-50).
- JMU trailed the Hokies 55-53 with 3:36 remaining, before rattling off a 12-1 run to close the game, handing Virginia Tech its first loss of the season with a 65-56 victory in front of 3,320 fans inside the Atlantic Union Bank Center on Sunday afternoon.
- JMU dominated the glass, out-rebounding Virginia Tech 47-27, and turned its 13 offensive boards into 21 second-chance points. Entering the contest, the Hokies ranked 11th in Division I in rebound margin at +16.2.
- In the Dukes' final game at the Daytona Beach Classic, Peyton McDaniel scored 28 points, connecting on 10-of-21 (.476) from the field and 5-of-11 (.455) from three to help push James Madison past Wisconsin, 69-50.
- The victory was the program's first over a current Big Ten team by double figures since the Dukes defeated UCLA 77-67 at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Naples, Fla. on Nov. 29, 2013.
- After starting conference play 3-3 with back-to-back losses to Georgia Southern (78-70 – Jan. 7) and Georgia State (72-70 OT – Jan. 10), the Dukes responded by winning 11 of their next 12 league games, starting with a drumming of Marshall (80-43 – Jan. 15), followed by snapping the Eagles' four-game winning streak with a 67-60 triumph in Harrisonburg on Jan. 17.
- Bree Robinson (19), Peyton McDaniel (18), and Ashanti Barnes (18) combined for 55 points as James Madison connected on 46.2% (30-of-65) from the field to hand Marshall its first Sun Belt loss this season with its 80-43 wire-to-wire win.
- The Dukes opened with a 13-0 run, ultimately outscoring the Thundering 27-2 in the opening frame with JMU going 12-for-17 (.706) from the floor.
- Against the Eagles, JMU forced Georgia Southern to commit 16 turnovers, while four Dukes finished in double figures: Peyton McDaniel (22), Ashanti Barnes (13), Grace McDonough (11), and Bree Robinson (10).
WINNING STREAK
- Following a 74-67 loss at the hands of Arkansas State in Jonesboro, Ark. on Jan. 25, the Dukes rattled off 12 straight victories heading into the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship.
- During that stretch, JMU posted an average margin of victory of +23.9, while shooting 48.5% from the field and 35.6% from three. Additionally, the Dukes continued their rebounding dominance with a +11.3 rebounding margin, dishing out 18.0 assists per game while committing just 13.1 turnovers per outing.
- James Madison was especially formidable in the final nine games of the winning streaks, holding all nine opponents to 57 points or fewer.
PEYTON DOES IT ALL
- Peyton McDaniel wrapped up her illustrious career in Harrisonburg ranked No. 3 in points (2,310) and fourth in rebounds (1,025) in program history. The sharpshooter also finished second in three-pointers (345) and tied for sixth in three-point percentage (35.0%).
- McDaniel played in the second-most games of any JMU player, making 154 appearances. The veteran finished fourth in free-throw percentage (81.1%), while on the defense end, the Birdsboro, Pa. native tallied the eighth-most steals in program history (186).
IN THE POLLS
- The Dukes received votes in the final USA Today Sports Coaches Poll on Monday afternoon. JMU earned one point, placing them as the 10th team outside of the top 25. Head Coach Sean O'Regan's squad has garnered votes in the organization's final poll over the last two seasons, finishing with three points in 2025.
- Meanwhile, with the conclusion of the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship, James Madison came in at No. 43 in the NET Rankings – the highest ranking in program history.
- JMU checked in at No. 6 in the CollegeInsider.com's final Mid Major Top 25 Poll on April 7.
FINAL NCAA RANKING SUMMARY
- The Dukes finished in the top 50 in seven categories nationally: rebounds per game (11th – 42.06), rebound margin (14th – +8.5), defensive rebounds per game (19th – 28.7), scoring margin (35th – +12.9), field goal percentage (41st - 44.7%), scoring offense (44th – 74.2), and field goal percentage defense (47th – 37.5%).
- Peyton McDaniel was 26th in total points (657), 34th in field goals (236), and 36th in scoring average (18.8).
- Ashanti Barnes finished 29th in total rebounds (317) and tied for 36th in double-doubles (12).
- Coming off the bench, Brianna McLeod was tied for 46th in total blocks (52) and 50th in blocks per game (1.58).
- Bree Robinson registered 82 steals to tie for 49th in the nation.
COACH O
- Head Coach Sean O'Regan has amassed a 236-90 (.724) record at the helm of the Dukes – the most wins through 10 seasons by any coach in program history.
- Kenny Brooks (2002-16) guided JMU to 227 victories in his first decade in charge, while Shelia Moorman (1982-97) tallied 208 wins during her legendary tenure.
- During the season, Coach O was selected to the 2026 Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award Midseason Watch List on Jan. 28 after being named to the 20-person preseason list in October.
Players Mentioned
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