Dukes find x-factor in Dickinson
JMU guard opening up floor for teammates
By Brian Hansen, sports editor
Posted on February 26, 2007

She’s third on the all-time scoring list. She was the conference Rookie of the Year her freshman year. She is one of four JMU women’s basketball players averaging double figure points this season.

The “she” is senior guard Lesley Dickinson, and she is vital to the Dukes’ hopes of winning the Colonial Athletic Association tournament.

“[When Lesley is shooting well] it makes us very hard to stop,” JMU coach Kenny Brooks said. “Teams have approached us this year by trying to take away Meredith and Tamera, and now, [Lesley] steps up and knocks down threes and opens things up inside for them.”

Dickinson, who twice has been named to the All-CAA third team and once to the second team, is averaging 11.1 points per game this season. However, over the last three games (Thursday at Delaware, Feb. 18 at Northeastern and Feb. 15 at home against George Mason) Dickinson has begun to regain a bit of her form from the previous three seasons at JMU.

Those games (yesterday’s game against Old Dominion not included) have seen the Queens Village, N.Y., native shooting 52 percent (15-of-29) including 60 percent (12-of-20) from 3-point range.

“She’s always been a good shooter as long as she gets some arc underneath the basketball,” the Dukes’ fifth-year coach said. “She came in for some extra work, and last week in practice you could tell she had a little extra pep in her step.”

Added Dickinson: “I’m happy I’m shooting the ball well. If I’m shooting it well, that’ll open up the middle a little bit for everyone else.”

Entering this season, it was thought that Dickinson, and not senior center Meredith Alexis, would get to Holly Rilinger’s (1992-97) career scoring mark first. Last season, Dickinson became the second-fastest Duke ever to reach 1,000 points. However, a leg injury suffered in last season’s conference tournament has slowed her this season.

“She had a very tough start to the year,” Brooks said. “Her injury affected the way that she’s been playing. She wasn’t as explosive as she had been in previous years.

“She’s had that patented step-back jump shot that worked for three years and that’s kind of disappeared a bit because of the injury.”

The injury has taken its toll on Dickinson’s scoring output this season, holding the 5-foot-10 guard to her lowest points-per-game total in four years.

Dickinson has averaged double figures every season, including 15.4 points per game her freshman year. Last season, she averaged 13.3 points for JMU, helping the team to a 24-7 record and a second-place CAA finish.

Dickinson, however, isn’t worried that her scoring numbers are down from previous years.

“I think we have a lot of weapons, and on any given night, anyone is likely to have a big game,” Dickinson said. “I know that if my shot isn’t falling, my teammates are going to pick me up that night.”

When the shot is falling, it’s a completely different story for the Dukes.

“When she’s playing well, the middle is a lot more open and even the wings get better looks,” said Alexis, the Dukes’ leading scorer.
Added Brooks: “If she continues to shoot the ball well, it will make us very tough to beat.”

Dickinson and JMU were on the road yesterday against Old Dominion. The Monarchs won and are now likely to take the No. 1 seed in the CAA tournament as well. Madison closes its season at home on Thursday against Towson.