Winter Sports New Year Update

Posted on January 10, 2008

Men’s Basketball

In his fourth year Coach Dean Keener has begun to turn the program around. The Dukes (9-4 overall, 2-1 CAA, before last nights game) already have half the wins they accumulated in the previous three seasons combined. The marquee win was a 62-61 victory over VCU Jan. 2 at the Convocation Center, capped by Juwann James’ game-winning buzzer-beater.

Their 7-3 non-conference record is highlighted with a 100-88 win over Siena and a 112-110 overtime loss to Big East school Seton Hall. Senior forward Terrance Carter leads the Dukes in scoring and rebounding with 15.3 and 8.1, respectively. St. Joseph’s transfer Abdulai Jalloh is second in points averaging 15.2. 

Women’s Basketball

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.

Women’s Swimming

In the Dukes first year of full-funding, fourth-year coach Samantha Smith has used her new scholarships to bring in a competitive freshman class. The team’s depth is reflected by the 3-4 record, already an improvement over last year’s 1-7 finish.

Freshman Layne Eidemiller has led the sprinters with a 24.2 second best in the 50-meter freestyle. Sophomore P.J. Nabor also swam a personal best of 51.8 in the 100-meter freestyle at the Bucknell Invitational on Nov. 18. Freshman Emily Konieczny is the team’s only distance swimmer and has swam a 5-minute, 3-second 500-meter freestyle.

Women’s Track & Field

Coach Kelly Cox’s runners have had only one chance to compete so far. At the Liberty Invitational, Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, several runners made the best of the early opportunity and qualified for the ECAC meet. Junior Tanique Carter qualified and broke the school record with a time of 7.63 in the 60-meter dash. The distance squad will be lead by senior Dena Spickard and Michelle Beardmore. Action starts back up on Friday and Saturday at the Virginia Tech Invitational.