James Madison lost its fifth straight game of the season and its eighth consecutive matchup with William & Mary, as the Tribe shot 10-of-15 on 3-pointers and Madison couldn't hit one to tie the game as time ran out Thursday night.
Junior guard Abdulai Jalloh led JMU with 19 points on 5-of-10 shooting, but also turned the ball over nine times. Jalloh and junior forward Juwann James tied for the team lead with seven rebounds.
William & Mary senior guard Nathan Mann led the Tribe with 19 points on 5-of-8 shooting. His 3-pointer with 2:15 left in the game put W&M up 57-52 and stymied JMU's comeback for good.
JMU fell to 10-10 overall, 3-7 in the Colonial Athletic Association, and the Tribe improved to 11-9, 7-3. Madison has eight games left to pick up the pieces before the CAA tournament starts in early March.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Young Makes History, Finds Stroke
Tamera Young through 15 games: 2-of-35 on 3-point attempts.
James Madison's all-time leading scorer in her last two games: 4-of-5.
While the overall percentage is still a meager 15 percent, Young has shown marked improvement in her last two games — just in time for a crucial road game at Towson (14-3 overall, 5-0 in the Colonial Athletic Association).
Madison (11-6, 4-2) rebounded from an overtime loss against Virginia Commonwealth by beating Hofstra 80-64 on Thursday night. Early in the game, Young connected from long distance and passed Meredith Alexis' mark of 1,760 points, claiming the JMU record.
The senior forward hit her second 3-pointer as she was fouled just 3 minutes, 12 seconds into the contest. After a timeout was called by JMU coach Kenny Brooks, Young hit the free throw for a 4-point play. But before the timeout she pointed to someone in the audience.
“It was funny because the football academic advisor, Justin Ruffin, I met with him a couple days ago and he was like ‘I want you to shoot all 3-pointers until you get it.’”
While Young said she didn’t expect to break the record that way, Brooks called it a “perfect scenario” to call a timeout and make the significance clear to the crowd of 1,706 at the Convocation Center.
Now the question is: will her hot streak carry the Dukes past Towson, one of two undefeated CAA teams?
James Madison's all-time leading scorer in her last two games: 4-of-5.
While the overall percentage is still a meager 15 percent, Young has shown marked improvement in her last two games — just in time for a crucial road game at Towson (14-3 overall, 5-0 in the Colonial Athletic Association).
Madison (11-6, 4-2) rebounded from an overtime loss against Virginia Commonwealth by beating Hofstra 80-64 on Thursday night. Early in the game, Young connected from long distance and passed Meredith Alexis' mark of 1,760 points, claiming the JMU record.
The senior forward hit her second 3-pointer as she was fouled just 3 minutes, 12 seconds into the contest. After a timeout was called by JMU coach Kenny Brooks, Young hit the free throw for a 4-point play. But before the timeout she pointed to someone in the audience.
“It was funny because the football academic advisor, Justin Ruffin, I met with him a couple days ago and he was like ‘I want you to shoot all 3-pointers until you get it.’”
While Young said she didn’t expect to break the record that way, Brooks called it a “perfect scenario” to call a timeout and make the significance clear to the crowd of 1,706 at the Convocation Center.
Now the question is: will her hot streak carry the Dukes past Towson, one of two undefeated CAA teams?
Monday, January 21, 2008
Adapting to New Roles
Two seasons ago, JMU guard Lesley Dickinson suffered a season-ending injury four days before the start of the Colonial Athletic Association tournament and the Dukes were forced to play without one of their most dynamic players.
But Madison advanced to the CAA women’s basketball final for the first time since 2001 with a buzzer-beater shot by Jasmin Lawrence with 1.9 seconds left for a 61-59 win over Delaware on March 10, 2006.
The senior guard is being asked to step up for a depleted roster once again, and what the women’s basketball team does in the absence of game-changing freshman point guard Dawn Evans will determine the direction its season goes throughout conference play.
“We don’t want to totally get away from what we are,” JMU coach Kenny Brooks said Monday at his weekly press conference. “What we are is a fast breaking team where we get a lot of easy transition baskets in the fast break, so we don’t have to go toe-to-toe so to speak against someone’s set defense.”
James Madison (10-6 overall, 3-2 CAA) responded to the loss of four starters from last season’s team by establishing a potent offense run by a freshman point guard. But Evans is out indefinitely with a stress fracture in her left foot, and Brooks now has to rely on natural shooting guards to step into a point guard role at times.
In addition to Lawrence and freshman guard Courtney Hamner, Brooks said that Young will also bring the ball up the court at times, something she did in spot duty against VCU.
“I thought she did a great job [Sunday] of taking some of the pressure off of [Lawrence] and Courtney, and Tamera has a small forward guarding her — she can bring the ball up very effectively.”
With Young on the verge of breaking Meredith Alexis' school record for points scored — she needs six points to surpass Alexis' total of 1760 — how dominant a performance will the Dukes turn in after a disappointing loss to Virginia Commonwealth?
But Madison advanced to the CAA women’s basketball final for the first time since 2001 with a buzzer-beater shot by Jasmin Lawrence with 1.9 seconds left for a 61-59 win over Delaware on March 10, 2006.
The senior guard is being asked to step up for a depleted roster once again, and what the women’s basketball team does in the absence of game-changing freshman point guard Dawn Evans will determine the direction its season goes throughout conference play.
“We don’t want to totally get away from what we are,” JMU coach Kenny Brooks said Monday at his weekly press conference. “What we are is a fast breaking team where we get a lot of easy transition baskets in the fast break, so we don’t have to go toe-to-toe so to speak against someone’s set defense.”
James Madison (10-6 overall, 3-2 CAA) responded to the loss of four starters from last season’s team by establishing a potent offense run by a freshman point guard. But Evans is out indefinitely with a stress fracture in her left foot, and Brooks now has to rely on natural shooting guards to step into a point guard role at times.
In addition to Lawrence and freshman guard Courtney Hamner, Brooks said that Young will also bring the ball up the court at times, something she did in spot duty against VCU.
“I thought she did a great job [Sunday] of taking some of the pressure off of [Lawrence] and Courtney, and Tamera has a small forward guarding her — she can bring the ball up very effectively.”
With Young on the verge of breaking Meredith Alexis' school record for points scored — she needs six points to surpass Alexis' total of 1760 — how dominant a performance will the Dukes turn in after a disappointing loss to Virginia Commonwealth?
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Dukes Search for Swagger
On the ride home from Old Dominion, JMU women's basketball coach Kenny Brooks received text messages from members of his team apologizing for their most disappointing performance of the season. But he’s convinced that his squad is ready to rebound at George Mason today.
“They’ve all been texting me, they’ve been apologizing to me,” Brooks said Monday at his weekly press conference. “But they don’t need to apologize to me, because they’re the ones that had to suffer through it. I think they’ll be able to bounce back.”
George Mason is the second of three opponents Madison faces on the road in January, and JMU is still searching for its first road victory against a team with at least a .500 record.
“We haven’t won some of the bigger games away from the Convocation Center that we need to win,” Brooks said. “We talk about the swagger, we have to have the swagger.”
Usually, Brooks uses Mondays to wind down and focus on personal things. This past Monday morning he was already watching film of GMU. His motivation?
“I want to get back out there to erase the [ODU] memory,” Brooks said.
JMU (9-5 overall, 2-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association) beat George Mason twice last year by a combined 58 points, but both teams have changed significantly. GMU (7-7, 1-2) is only one win shy of its total from last season, and has a 6-2 record at home. Brooks said he’s glad JMU has a chance to bounce back on the road.
“Our goals are much higher than just to be a good team at home,” Brooks said. “We want to be able to be one of the upper-echelon teams.”
Madison may not be the only team trying to regain confidence today. While the Patriots started the season 5-0 at home, they have gone 1-2 in their last three home games.
GMU has also dropped two straight games by at least 15 points. The Patriots lost 69-54 on Tuesday at Liberty, a team that beat JMU 79-66 earlier this season in Lynchburg.
“We’re coming off a loss to Liberty that I felt we played very well at their place,” GMU coach Debbie Taneyhill said in a phone interview. “I know our kids are glad to be back home and get into being able to concentrate on our CAA schedule.”
GMU senior guard Lateisha Wade leads the Patriots in scoring, averaging 14.6 points. Wade is the only GMU player averaging double figures, but the Patriots have managed to improve on last year’s season with a focus on defense.
“We’ve really made that an emphasis for our team this year,” Taneyhill said. “On nights when your offense may not be going well, if you have that solid defense you can still manage to win some games, and that’s what we’re trying to instill with our team.”
The Patriots will need that focus on defense to hang with a JMU team hungry for redemption.
“They’ve all been texting me, they’ve been apologizing to me,” Brooks said Monday at his weekly press conference. “But they don’t need to apologize to me, because they’re the ones that had to suffer through it. I think they’ll be able to bounce back.”
George Mason is the second of three opponents Madison faces on the road in January, and JMU is still searching for its first road victory against a team with at least a .500 record.
“We haven’t won some of the bigger games away from the Convocation Center that we need to win,” Brooks said. “We talk about the swagger, we have to have the swagger.”
Usually, Brooks uses Mondays to wind down and focus on personal things. This past Monday morning he was already watching film of GMU. His motivation?
“I want to get back out there to erase the [ODU] memory,” Brooks said.
JMU (9-5 overall, 2-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association) beat George Mason twice last year by a combined 58 points, but both teams have changed significantly. GMU (7-7, 1-2) is only one win shy of its total from last season, and has a 6-2 record at home. Brooks said he’s glad JMU has a chance to bounce back on the road.
“Our goals are much higher than just to be a good team at home,” Brooks said. “We want to be able to be one of the upper-echelon teams.”
Madison may not be the only team trying to regain confidence today. While the Patriots started the season 5-0 at home, they have gone 1-2 in their last three home games.
GMU has also dropped two straight games by at least 15 points. The Patriots lost 69-54 on Tuesday at Liberty, a team that beat JMU 79-66 earlier this season in Lynchburg.
“We’re coming off a loss to Liberty that I felt we played very well at their place,” GMU coach Debbie Taneyhill said in a phone interview. “I know our kids are glad to be back home and get into being able to concentrate on our CAA schedule.”
GMU senior guard Lateisha Wade leads the Patriots in scoring, averaging 14.6 points. Wade is the only GMU player averaging double figures, but the Patriots have managed to improve on last year’s season with a focus on defense.
“We’ve really made that an emphasis for our team this year,” Taneyhill said. “On nights when your offense may not be going well, if you have that solid defense you can still manage to win some games, and that’s what we’re trying to instill with our team.”
The Patriots will need that focus on defense to hang with a JMU team hungry for redemption.
Monday, January 14, 2008
The Aftermath
Following an 82-57 pounding at Old Dominion, the James Madison women's basketball team is anxious to redeem itself. In fact, various members of the team sent text messages to Coach Kenny Brooks apologizing for their performance on the ride home.
Brooks is a Dallas Cowboys fan, so it was a rough weekend for him. In case you're wondering, he doesn't blame Tony Romo for the Cowboys' early exit.
Madison (9-5 overall, 2-1 Colonial Athletic Association) will play for its first road conference win Thursday at George Mason. The Patriots (7-6, 1-2) lost to Drexel 62-42 on Sunday, only their second loss at home. GMU is 6-2 at home this season.
When asked about point guard Dawn Evans' recent struggles, Brooks defended her and pointed out that many of her missed 3-pointers have been in games where JMU trails by a lot and needs to get back in the game. He called last game her worst performance of the season, but also said that she is ahead of where Andrea Benvenuto (JMU '07) was as a freshman. Last year Benvenuto was named to the All-CAA third team.
It's clear that this team, while young, is emerging as a CAA contender. The next step is to win conference games on the road.
Brooks is a Dallas Cowboys fan, so it was a rough weekend for him. In case you're wondering, he doesn't blame Tony Romo for the Cowboys' early exit.
Madison (9-5 overall, 2-1 Colonial Athletic Association) will play for its first road conference win Thursday at George Mason. The Patriots (7-6, 1-2) lost to Drexel 62-42 on Sunday, only their second loss at home. GMU is 6-2 at home this season.
When asked about point guard Dawn Evans' recent struggles, Brooks defended her and pointed out that many of her missed 3-pointers have been in games where JMU trails by a lot and needs to get back in the game. He called last game her worst performance of the season, but also said that she is ahead of where Andrea Benvenuto (JMU '07) was as a freshman. Last year Benvenuto was named to the All-CAA third team.
It's clear that this team, while young, is emerging as a CAA contender. The next step is to win conference games on the road.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Brooks: No Excuses
James Madison coach Kenny Brooks said his team is done with excuses. The women's basketball team rolled to a 93-49 victory over Georgia State on Thursday night with two upperclassmen feeling ill and seemed to prove him right.
"No excuses." Two very strong words, especially considering the next game on Madison's schedule: Old Dominion.
"We have no excuses," Brooks said. "The kids come down, if they're a little bit sick or they don't really feel like practicing, that's not an excuse. ...We've kind of adopted that the last couple of days you know, no excuses let's go out, you're feet hurt it doesn't matter you can play through it we need to get tough and do that."
Madison (9-4 overall, 2-0 in the Colonial Athletic Association) won its third straight after losing four in a row in December. Tamera Young, the CAA's leading scorer and rebounder, was one rebound short of her sixth double-double this season. She scored 18 points to go along with nine rebounds against the Panthers. While Young is the only returning starter from last season's team, Georgia State coach Lea Henry said not to overlook the effect of her experience.
"Experience helps them, with the way Young understands what it takes to win and you've got a couple other upperclassmen that have been around a lot of success," Henry said. "I just like the way they have so much energy, the way they get after it."
Those other upperclassmen Henry was talking about? Two of them were not at full strength. Senior forward Jennifer Brown and junior forward Kisha Stokes who were both feeling ill, and played less than normal minutes. Brown is suffering from a slight case of bronchitis, and Stokes has been diagnosed with "partial pneumonia."
Freshman Lauren Jimenez stepped up for the Dukes with 15 points and eight rebounds. The 6-foot-4 center created a mismatch for Georgia State and scored double digits for the second time in a row and this season.
"We were a little bit sluggish in the beginning, but we've got some kids who are under the weather," Brooks said. "Jennifer Brown's under the weather, Kisha Stokes [is] under the weather, that's why they were limited so much especially in the second half."
That's where Jiminez showed why Brooks intended for her to be Meredith Alexis' successor, scoring nine of her 15 points in the second half. Alexis graduated in spring 2007 as JMU's all-time leading scorer, and many expected JMU to be in a rebuilding phase this season as a result.
Georgia State's efforts to negate the size advantage failed more and more as the game went on.
"The first half we were kind of dead and not fightin' and playin as hard we usually do," Young said. "The second half we picked it up and we started fighting' for loose balls and rebounding more. ...they're just a run and gun team, they don't really set up plays that much, so we knew that from the beginning that that's what they wanted to do."
Madison plays at ODU on Sunday, the first meeting of the teams since ODU beat JMU to claim its 16th straight CAA Championship last season. The Monarchs (11-3, 2-0) are second place in the CAA, behind Virginia Commonwealth (12-1, 2-0).
"No excuses." Two very strong words, especially considering the next game on Madison's schedule: Old Dominion.
"We have no excuses," Brooks said. "The kids come down, if they're a little bit sick or they don't really feel like practicing, that's not an excuse. ...We've kind of adopted that the last couple of days you know, no excuses let's go out, you're feet hurt it doesn't matter you can play through it we need to get tough and do that."
Madison (9-4 overall, 2-0 in the Colonial Athletic Association) won its third straight after losing four in a row in December. Tamera Young, the CAA's leading scorer and rebounder, was one rebound short of her sixth double-double this season. She scored 18 points to go along with nine rebounds against the Panthers. While Young is the only returning starter from last season's team, Georgia State coach Lea Henry said not to overlook the effect of her experience.
"Experience helps them, with the way Young understands what it takes to win and you've got a couple other upperclassmen that have been around a lot of success," Henry said. "I just like the way they have so much energy, the way they get after it."
Those other upperclassmen Henry was talking about? Two of them were not at full strength. Senior forward Jennifer Brown and junior forward Kisha Stokes who were both feeling ill, and played less than normal minutes. Brown is suffering from a slight case of bronchitis, and Stokes has been diagnosed with "partial pneumonia."
Freshman Lauren Jimenez stepped up for the Dukes with 15 points and eight rebounds. The 6-foot-4 center created a mismatch for Georgia State and scored double digits for the second time in a row and this season.
"We were a little bit sluggish in the beginning, but we've got some kids who are under the weather," Brooks said. "Jennifer Brown's under the weather, Kisha Stokes [is] under the weather, that's why they were limited so much especially in the second half."
That's where Jiminez showed why Brooks intended for her to be Meredith Alexis' successor, scoring nine of her 15 points in the second half. Alexis graduated in spring 2007 as JMU's all-time leading scorer, and many expected JMU to be in a rebuilding phase this season as a result.
Georgia State's efforts to negate the size advantage failed more and more as the game went on.
"The first half we were kind of dead and not fightin' and playin as hard we usually do," Young said. "The second half we picked it up and we started fighting' for loose balls and rebounding more. ...they're just a run and gun team, they don't really set up plays that much, so we knew that from the beginning that that's what they wanted to do."
Madison plays at ODU on Sunday, the first meeting of the teams since ODU beat JMU to claim its 16th straight CAA Championship last season. The Monarchs (11-3, 2-0) are second place in the CAA, behind Virginia Commonwealth (12-1, 2-0).
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Panthers up Next
After losing four straight games in December, the women’s team has won two straight by a combined 92 points. The Dukes routed Wagner 100-48 on Dec. 31 and beat UNC Wilmington 79-39 in their first January game Sunday.
Madison (8-4 overall, 1-0 CAA) faces Georgia State tonight at 7 p.m. The Panthers (3-9, 0-1) have lost two straight, including their conference opener against No. 23 Old Dominion.
Senior forward Tamera Young leads JMU with 20.9 points a game and 9.6 rebounds a contest. Freshman point guard Dawn Evans is the only other player averaging double figures with 12.8 points a game.
Madison (8-4 overall, 1-0 CAA) faces Georgia State tonight at 7 p.m. The Panthers (3-9, 0-1) have lost two straight, including their conference opener against No. 23 Old Dominion.
Senior forward Tamera Young leads JMU with 20.9 points a game and 9.6 rebounds a contest. Freshman point guard Dawn Evans is the only other player averaging double figures with 12.8 points a game.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Domination
Did I say the women's basketball team hit their stride?
Another solid performance from senior forward Tamera Young led to a 79-39 rout of UNC Wilmington. Young scored 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting, and also tallied nine rebounds and six assists. Maybe her most impressive performance of the season, all things considered.
Senior forward Jennifer Brown grabbed 10 rebounds to lead JMU, as the Dukes out-rebounded the Seahawks 42-24. Defense was also a key factor, as UNCW had 23 turnovers and JMU had only 11.
With seven more conference games in January, don't discount the importance of an emphatic start.
Another solid performance from senior forward Tamera Young led to a 79-39 rout of UNC Wilmington. Young scored 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting, and also tallied nine rebounds and six assists. Maybe her most impressive performance of the season, all things considered.
Senior forward Jennifer Brown grabbed 10 rebounds to lead JMU, as the Dukes out-rebounded the Seahawks 42-24. Defense was also a key factor, as UNCW had 23 turnovers and JMU had only 11.
With seven more conference games in January, don't discount the importance of an emphatic start.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Conference Play Begins Sunday
James Madison is back on track.
The entire starting lineup of the women's basketball team reached double figures and JMU broke out of its four game losing streak with a 100-48 drubbing of Wagner (2-9) earlier this week. But conference play begins Sunday against UNC Wilmington, the second place team in the Colonial Athletic Association.
The Seahawks (9-2) have two players that rank in the top 10 in CAA scoring, freshman forward Brittany Blackwell and junior forward Sasha Taylor. Blackwell has earned CAA Rookie of the Week recognition twice this season and is coming off her strongest performance of the year, scoring a career high 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting in a 90-88 overtime win against Western Carolina (8-5).
But the Seahawks lost at Radford 77-46 five days before facing Western Carolina, and Madison should be able to compete with them.
Sunday's game against UNCW is the first of eight conference games this month for JMU. After compiling a 1-4 record in December, the Dukes will look to prove their character against CAA competition in January.
The entire starting lineup of the women's basketball team reached double figures and JMU broke out of its four game losing streak with a 100-48 drubbing of Wagner (2-9) earlier this week. But conference play begins Sunday against UNC Wilmington, the second place team in the Colonial Athletic Association.
The Seahawks (9-2) have two players that rank in the top 10 in CAA scoring, freshman forward Brittany Blackwell and junior forward Sasha Taylor. Blackwell has earned CAA Rookie of the Week recognition twice this season and is coming off her strongest performance of the year, scoring a career high 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting in a 90-88 overtime win against Western Carolina (8-5).
But the Seahawks lost at Radford 77-46 five days before facing Western Carolina, and Madison should be able to compete with them.
Sunday's game against UNCW is the first of eight conference games this month for JMU. After compiling a 1-4 record in December, the Dukes will look to prove their character against CAA competition in January.
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