Ron Curry Buzzer Beater Drops Towson

JMU is Ron Curry’s team. He left no doubt about that in Saturday’s win over Towson. The junior point guard dropped a career high 27 points, none more important than the 18 foot jumper to secure a 63-61 win as time expired. Curry hit 5 threes and knocked down 7 of 15 overall. He also made 8 of 10 from the stripe. We all knew Curry was talented, but his scoring ability has been a bit of a revelation. Yohanny Dalembert had another effective game, contributing 14 points, 8 boards, 2 blocks, and a steal. The ceiling continues to rise with YoYo. Freshman Joey McLean drew his first collegiate start and made the most of the opportunity. His scored a career high 14 points on a night JMU badly needed someone to step up and help YoYo and Curry carry the load. The win keeps JMU in the thick of things at 14-11 overall and 7-5 in the CAA. Towson fell to 11-14 and 4-8 in league play. Here are a few quick thoughts on the exciting win.

Thumbs Up

Ron Curry – This one is obvious. Curry was just stellar. He took control of the ball, and thus the game, down the stretch when Towson stormed back. His leadership helped the Dukes stay calm and sneak out of Towson with a much needed win.

McLean Stepping Up – The freshman made Head Coach Matt Brady look pretty smart for starting him. McLean’s effort was one of the lone bright spots in JMU’s loss to UNCW. He played with the same energy, but was even more effective against Towson. He knocked down two huge threes and took care of the basketball. Just a solid effort in a game it was needed.

Vodonavich’s Gritty Game – The sophomore might not have the prettiest game or the deepest skill set on the roster. He can be very effective when he bangs around down low and generally makes a nuisance of himself though. That’s exactly what he did yesterday, playing physical defense, grabbing rebounds, and getting under the Tigers’ skin. He also managed to set his teammates up, finishing with 3 assists for good measure.

YoYo’s Passing – Regular readers know we love YoYo. Despite the fact that he’s still learning the game of basketball, he’s developed a decent array of post moves. He’s got the potential to play All CAA caliber basketball before his time at JMU ends. What might be overlooked though is his passing and court vision. He put both on display yesterday with a couple of nifty looks to set up good shots for others.

Thumbs Down

Rebounding, or Lack Thereof – The Dukes won, so we don’t have much to complain about. However, they get beat 43-29 on the boards. The fact that they still managed to win in spite of that is pretty amazing. It’s not sustainable though. JMU simply has to rebound the basketball better down the stretch.

Jackson Kent’s Apparent Lack of Confidence – We don’t know what’s going on in Jackson’s head, but it sure seems like he lost his confidence on the court yesterday. Which is a shame, because he’s a good ballplayer. His game has been up and down all season. Maybe we’re reading too much into things, but it sure looks like on nights when he plays with enthusiasm and stays aggressive, he knocks down buckets. On other nights he seems to play with hesitation, his game suffers. He’s a good player with a ton of potential. We just hope he realizes it.