JMU Busts Out of Slump With Win Over High Point
Ding dong the witch is dead. Or at least the 6 game losing streak is over. JMU went on the road and defeated High Point by the score of 84-69 Saturday night. JMU moved to 3-8 on the year, while High Point fell to 3-5.
High Point had the upper hand in the first half, shooting 50% overall and hitting 6 of 10 from behind the arc. JMU let High Point get out to double-digit leads multiple times, only to go on runs to close the gap. In the closing minutes of the first half, a 7-0 run sent them into the locker room down 40-35. They carried the positive momentum into the second half, grabbed the lead at 43-42, and pretty much controlled the game from there on out. Charles Cooke led the way with 25 points. Andrey Semenov, Ron Curry, Jackson Kent, and Taylor Bessick also reached double figures in scoring. Here are a few things we liked about the win.
Charles Cooke
This one’s obvious. If you like basketball, you’ve got to love the way Charles Cooke is playing lately. The sophomore has stepped up big time for the Dukes during Andre Nation’s suspension. He’s scoring by hitting jumpers. He’s scoring by driving to the hole. He’s playing good D. He’s rapidly maturing into a dangerous scorer and leader for the Dukes. And he’s probably going to be even better when Nation returns in January. Cooke eclipsed the 20 point barrier for the third time this season and set a new career high to boot. We saw flashes last year from Cooke, but it’s becoming clear his ceiling is higher than anyone anticipated.
Team Ball
As mentioned above, five JMU players scored in double figures. If you watched this one, you never would have guessed that the Dukes headed into the game shooting worse than 25% from three this season. They shot 55% overall from the field and a solid 10-21 from long distance. They got good looks and knocked them down. And many of the good looks were directly related to Cooke’s play. His penetration drew extra defenders and opened things up for his teammates.
It was more than just good shooting however. The team could have packed it in early after falling behind by double digits. They didn’t though. They played tough and battled back. And whenever it looked like High Point was set to make a run, another Duke stepped up. Semenov and Kent hit big jumpers. Cooke slashed to the hole. The entire team collapsed on D and forced tough shots. Solid effort all around.
Bessick and the Little Things
There was a sequence last night where Taylor Bessick was battling down low with a defender and a pass was whipped over the top to him. He was knocked slightly off balance by his man, but he quickly righted himself and collected the pass. Then he sealed his man under the hoop and finished for the bucket. It wasn’t a Sportscenter Top 10 sort of play by any means. But it was a play that showcased a whole bunch of little things including soft hands, good footwork, and strong positioning, that separate good big men from the competition. It’s also the sort of play we’re seeing Bessick make more often. He’s got a foundation for a very solid post game. If he can continue to limit the fouls and go deep into games, he’s going to be a tremendous asset for the Dukes.
We’ve said all season that JMU is rebuilding and this year is about progression and development. If Bessick, Cooke, and the rest of the team can continue to improve on the little things, the wins will follow. And that Nation guy should help too.
