Dawn creams Tigers with 3s
Evans’ last three with 45 seconds remaining gets frenzied crowd free Kline’sPosted on February 11, 2008
With 45 seconds left in a blowout of Towson, JMU freshman point guard Dawn Evans made a deep 3-pointer behind a screen, bringing James Madison’s total to 79 and allowing the crowd of 2,195 to cash in on Kline’s promise of free ice cream if the Dukes score at least 79 points at home.
With the crowd urging her to shoot, Evans delivered from about five feet behind the arc in JMU’s 79-52 win.
“That’s actually kinda close,” senior forward Jennifer Brown said. “Usually she shoots from the Duke paw.”
Brown was referring to the Duke Dog logo near halfcourt, where according to her and senior forward Tamera Young, Evans routinely shoots from during practice. In her fourth game back from a stress fracture in her left foot, Evans scored a career-high 25 points and also had 5 assists.
She broke a school record for 3-pointers made in a game with 7-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc, while senior forward Tamera Young notched her 100th double-figure scoring game.
JMU coach Kenny Brooks wasn’t surprised with Evans’ performance, though.
“When we recruited her, I knew that record wasn’t going to stand very much longer,” Brooks said. “I really believe before she’s done she’s gonna make 10 in a game, and I’ve seen her do that before.”
Evans said she was unaware of the record and the distance from which she took JMU’s final shot. She does admit that Brooks has talked to her about shot selection before, though.
“Coach Brooks tells me to find the line,” Evans said. “I don’t know where I’m shooting from I just see the basket.”
While Evans lit up the scoreboard from long range, Brown was Madison’s second-leading scorer with 18 points and Young chipped in 16. Brown shot 7-of-10, but missed her first two shots as she channeled a flashback to her 2-of-12 performance at Towson on Jan. 27, a game JMU won by only four points. But she shook it off and made her last three shots in the first half as JMU stretched its lead to 39-25.
Tigers coach Joe Mathews attributed the lopsided score mostly to his team’s poor decisions and poor shot selection, refusing to give Evans’ presence too much credit; Evans did not play in the earlier meeting of the two teams. Towson had no players reach double figures in the rematch.
“We’re not a high percentage team to begin with, we’re a team that kind of feeds off of turnovers and steals and open floor stuff,” Mathews said. “We’re just not competing hard enough to get those opportunities right now.”
Towson shot below 34 percent for the fourth time in its last five games, and fell into a tie for fourth place in the conference with Drexel.
Evans played for 31 minutes Sunday despite coming off the bench, something she has done in every game since her return. Brooks said he expects her to start Thursday.
Madison plays William & Mary (11-12, 5-6) at the Convocation Center on Thursday. JMU won 69-53 at Williamsburg on Feb. 3, but JMU fans will be hoping for 10 more points when the Tribe come to town.
