HARRISONBURG, Va. (JMU Athletics) – James Madison finished on a 13-3 run to take down North Carolina Central, 67-62, on Wednesday night in non-conference men’s basketball action at the Atlantic Union Bank Center.
Despite shooting just 34.6 percent and trailing 59-54 with less than five minutes remaining, JMU (6-4) used a 13-3 run to surge late for the win, with Cliff Davis scoring eight of his 18 points in the final minutes to lead the charge.
Along with Davis’ 18 points, Justin McBride recorded 16 points and added six rebounds. Eddie Ricks III notched a team-high seven rebounds and tallied five points and three assists, and Gabe Newhof chipped in eight points and six boards.
Gage Lattimore played 40 minutes for NC Central (3-7), scoring a game-high 29 points. Dionte Johnson added 16 points for the Eagles, while Kelechi Okworogwo corralled 12 rebounds.
How It Happened
First Half: James Madison 35, North Carolina Central 24
• Back-to-back three-pointers by Cliff Davis and Preston Fowler helped the Dukes gain an early 25-16 lead.
• A three from Paul Jones III at the 2:44 mark extended the lead to 31-20, the largest margin of the half.
• JMU knocked down 6-of-13 (.46) from three, whereas NC Central failed to convert any of its nine attempts from long range and went 10-of-28 (.36) from the floor.
Second Half: James Madison 67, North Carolina Central 62
• NC Central cut the lead to one after a 7-0 run, but the Dukes answered with a jumper by Justin McBride to put JMU up 43-40.
• The Eagles tied the game at 50-50 with 6:58 remaining and held the lead until the 2:59 mark, when the Dukes evened the score at 59-59 on a three-pointer by Cliff following an NC Central turnover.
• The Dukes gained momentum as Gabe Newhof scored on a layup and Cliff followed with a three-pointer off an Eagle turnover, and they maintained that lead to close out a 67-62 victory.
Game Notes
• Justin McBride finished with 16 points, his ninth game in double figures this season. In 10 games, the junior transfer from Nevada is averaging 15.7 points per game.
• JMU’s field-goal percentage of 34.6 is tied for the third-lowest in a win since 2004.
• Paul Lewis made his first start as a Duke, playing a season-high 24 minutes and scoring six points.
• JMU improved to 5-11 under Head Coach Preston Spradlin when scoring 69 points or fewer.
• Through 10 games, Eddie Ricks III leads the team in rebounds (69) and rebounds per game (6.9).
Up Next
JMU will host Norfolk State on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 2 p.m. inside the Atlantic Union Bank Center.
— JMU Athletics —
