Dukes Defeat UVA to Advance to WNIT Sweet Sixteen

After failing to earn a bid to the Big Dance, the Dukes are making the most of their Women’s NIT experience. Precious Hall and her teammates knocked off their second straight in-state opponent Saturday afternoon in the Convo. This time it was the UVA Cavaliers by the score of 61-55.

The Dukes made only 11 of 29 shots in the first half, but still managed to take a 30-26 lead into the break. UVA came out of the gates strong in the second half and carried a lead into the final minutes. The Dukes had a tough time knocking down shots in the second half, managing to hit only 34.8% overall and a meager 27.3% from long range. However, the ladies stepped up and hit the big buckets when it mattered most. Trailing 55-51 with 1:33 remaining, Precious Hall lead the Dukes on a 10-0 run to cap the come from behind victory. The highlight was a Steph Curry like bomb from trey by Hall to give JMU a lead it never surrendered. The senior scored a game high 28 points in the win. Next up for the Dukes is a home game against Villanova on Thursday.