Dukes Beat Presbyterian, Go For 4 in Row Tonight

JMU defeated Presbyterian 65-56 last night in the Convocation Center. The victory moved the Dukes to 3-1 on the year. They’ll attempt to win their 4th straight, when the face Bucknell this evening in their third and final game of the Harrisonburg Subregional of the O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic. As best I can tell, this wasn’t a tournament in any real sense. It was simply a chance for O’Reilly to throw its name on a bunch of teams playing each other in round robin format. But I digress.

After Monday’s thrilling comeback win against Princeton, last night’s game was bit of a letdown. This wasn’t a pretty win for JMU by any means, but it showed that this team might have that little something extra needed to grind out wins when they’re without their A game. Here is a quick take on some of the highs and lows.

Thumbs Up

Rayshawn Goins – After a tough game against Princeton, in which he failed to reach double figures, Rayshawn bounced back and led the Dukes with 17 points. He played aggressively and looked determined to get things going early. His scoring was especially important, since Denzel Bowles’ minutes were limited due to foul trouble.

Julius Wells – Wells played a very mature game and demonstrated far more patience offensively, than he usually does. I think it might have been the first time I’ve ever heard an announcer say “Wells thinks about it…no dishes the ball.” The last two games make me optimistic that Wells is getting into a comfort zone and accepting his role on this team. He took good shots and finished wiht 14 points. He’s got skills and his play could push the Dukes over the top in some games.

Hustle and Intesity – JMU won the battle of the boards, outrebounding the Blue Hose (seriously, that’s Presybterian’s name) 29-22. They also outhustled Presbyterian all night. With the game still in reach and time winding down, Presbyterian seemed content just to call it a night. The Dukes were still playing hard until the end. Denzel Bowles hit the floor for a loose ball with 2 minutes to go. It’s great when role players do that. The fact that the team’s star did it, is a great sign.

Thumbs Down

Turnovers – If the Dukes can’t get a handle on things and cut down on the turnovers, this could be their achilles heel. JMU had 17 turnovers for the game. Better than Princeton, but still way too high.

Perimeter Defense – Overall the Dukes’ renewed commitment to Defense is paying dividends. They seem to really be struggling guarding against the three however. It was apparent from the opening tip against Kansas State and it hurt them. They allowed Presbyterian to hit over 50% from behind the arc in the first half last night. Things were much better in the second half, and the Blue Hose ended up shooting 38% for the game. JMU has to do better than they did in the first half though. Better teams will make them pay.