30 — the latest number of consecutive home wins for the JMU women’s basketball team. The Dukes kept alive their school-record win streak Friday night with an 85-46 drubbing of Savannah State at the JMU Convocation Center.
Freshman point guard Dawn Evans led all Dukes with 20 points, shooting 4-of-5 from behind the arc. Junior forward Kisha Stokes added a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, while senior guard Tamera Brown had 16 and eight as Madison extended its current NCAA-best home win streak, something the players are openly happy about.
“Words can’t express how we feel about that,” senior forward Jennifer Brown said. “We are very proud of our win streak.”
And the Dukes better enjoy it now, because their streak is in serious jeopardy the next time they play at home. The No. 3-ranked Maryland Terrapins come to the Convocation Center on Dec. 20, following a two-game road trip for the Dukes this week.
But on this night, the 2006 NCAA Tournament champions looming in their schedule was the furthest thing from the minds of the Madison players. Their play was sloppy at times as they shot 36.7 percent from the field in the first half, but the Dukes played well enough to nearly double the score of the visiting Tigers. Savannah State coach Cedric Baker called this year’s JMU squad “better than last’s.”
Better than last year’s team? Let us not forget what the 2006-07 JMU women’s basketball team did — it finished 25-4 in the regular season. It reached the semifinal game of the CAA tournament. It was selected to the NCAA tournament for the first time in coach Kenny Brooks’ five years. And it had an All-American center in senior Meredith Alexis. Four of its starters were seniors.
With the loss of so many key players, especially Alexis, many expected a rebuilding year in 2007-08 for the Dukes. So outperforming last year’s squad seemed unrealistic at best to many heading into this season. Even Brooks.
“I never though we’d say that,” the 2007 CAA coach of the year said. “It’s like saying you like one daughter better than the other. But I think we have the capability to [be as good as the team last year].”
They took a step towards proving that against Savannah State. JMU enjoyed its largest margin of victory in any game over the past two seasons, and beat a Tigers team it beat by only 29 last year.
And although there is a lot for the Dukes to be proud of after their historic win, the game itself was poorly played on both sides. But JMU won by its largest margin since a 55-point victory over Charleston Southern in 2005. Sounds like Baker’s claim isn’t that unrealistic after all.
After going down 4-0 less than two minutes into the contest, JMU quickly responded with a 16-0 run. The run was highlighted by two three-point field goals for Evans and a steal turned breakaway lay-up for the Dukes’ only returning starter from last year, Young. Savannah State didn’t score a point for nearly 6 minutes, as the Tigers made it 16-5 with a free throw in the game’s eighth minute.
The remainder of the first half was uneventful, as both teams did not play their best basketball. JMU built on the 12-point cushion it had at 16-4, leading by 20 at halftime, 41-21. Evans scored 13 of her 20 in the first half, before sitting for nearly half of the second period. Still, it was clear JMU did not play the basketball it is capable of playing.
“This was a hard game to play. You hear it mentioned as a let-down game, coming off games against Wake Forest and George Washington,” Brooks said. “We didn’t play as well as I would like, but I thought we played well at points.”
Well enough to defeat an inferior opponent by 39.
The most excitement in the game may have been the half-time entertainment. A 5-on-5 full-court mascot basketball game (if you can call it that) was played for the enjoyment of the 1,980 in attendance at the Convo Center, with JMU’s Duke Dog celebrating his 25th birthday. The “game” ended in an abysmal 0-0 score and with the singing of “Happy Birthday” to the Duke Dog.
Despite the riveting halftime show and the near 40-point rout that took place in the real game, the largest applause from the large JMU crowd came halfway through the second half. Local sophomore Brentney Moore, who is from Orange County, Va., scored her first ever field goal in her career at JMU in stylish fashion.
After a midcourt steal, Moore hustled down the court and was able to shoot in a lay-up while being fouled hard in the paint. While she missed the free throw her efforts were cheered by the JMU crowd, who recognized Moore’s milestone and accomplishment. Moore finished with four points, her other two coming off another potential three point play.
“We love Brentney to death,” Brown said. “She works so hard in practice, so we were all very happy for her.”
JMU will go on the road to face Liberty on Tuesday and Clemson on Friday, before its toughest test thus far, Maryland, comes to town just two weeks later.
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