MIAMI (JMU Athletics) – James Madison men’s basketball made 17 three-pointers and shot 32-of-58 (.552) from the floor to shoot past the Omaha Mavericks, 88-77, on Tuesday evening at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center to close out the FIU MTE.
JMU (5-3) finished with 28 assists on 32 made field goals while tying a program record 17 three-pointers. The Dukes led 48-32 at halftime and extended the lead over Omaha (2-5) by as many as 22 points in the second half, and cruised the rest of the way to their third straight win.
Leading the scoring effort for JMU was Justin McBride, who finished with 24 points on 9-of-11 shooting along with five rebounds. Freshman Preston Fowler came off the bench and had a career-high 18 points and six three-pointers, with 12 coming in the second half. Cliff Davis continued his consistent play, recording 15 points.
The 28 assists for JMU are the most versus a Division I opponent since 2004, and the 17 made threes are the most in a single game since the Dukes also made 17 at Kent State on Nov. 9, 2023.
Lance Waddles had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Mavericks, while Khamani Cooper had 16 points off the bench.
How It Happened
First Half: James Madison 48, Omaha 32
• A layup from Cliff Davis gave JMU an 18-11 lead, and the Dukes built the advantage to 28-18 with nine minutes left.
• JMU hit seven of its first 11 three-pointers to force a Maverick timeout with the score 34-18 at the 7:56 mark.
• The lead grew to 39-18, but Omaha responded with a 7-0 run to force a timeout. The Dukes responded and made the lead 16 (48-32) at the half.
Second Half: James Madison 88, Omaha 77
• JMU raced out of the second half and built a 22-point lead (84-52) with seven minutes left in the game and cruised the rest of the way for the win.
Game Notes
• JMU improved to 1-0 against Omaha.
• Through eight games, McBride is shooting 15-of-27 (.556) from behind the arc.
• JMU’s 48 points in the first half are its most since scoring 47 at Georgia State on Jan. 25, 2025.
• Douglas finished with eight assists, his third straight game with five or more helpers. Through eight games, he has a total of 36 assists (4.5 per game)
• JMU finished with 88 points, improving to 4-0 this season when scoring 80 or more points and 12-1 under Preston Spradlin when surpassing that number.
• The Dukes finished with 28 assists – the most in a game versus a Division I opponent since recording 27 against Coastal Carolina on Feb. 1, 2024.
• JMU’s 28 assists came on 32 made field goals, assisting at a 87.5 percent clip.
• JMU’s 17 three-pointers tied a program record, as the Dukes also had 17 against Kent State on Nov. 9, 2023, and against Carlow on Nov. 10, 2021.
Up Next
JMU will remain on the road and head to Fairfax, Va., for a game against George Mason on Saturday, Nov. 29, at 2 p.m.
— JMU Athletics —
