{"id":6255,"date":"2013-11-20T06:37:55","date_gmt":"2013-11-20T11:37:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=6255"},"modified":"2013-11-20T06:43:19","modified_gmt":"2013-11-20T11:43:19","slug":"dukes-let-one-slip-away-against-detroit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=6255","title":{"rendered":"Dukes Let One Slip Away Against Detroit"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"HJYPGTLOWCWKRIT.20131120033930\"<\/a>Well, at least those banners looked nice. The Dukes dropped a tough one to Detroit in the 2013-2014 home opener. On a night that saw JMU raise its first CAA Championship and NCAA Tournament banners, poor free throw shooting resulted in a 71-67 loss. If you don’t have time to read any further, you can stop right there because that was the story. JMU went 26 for 45 from the line. And as the old saying goes, when you miss 19 free throws you don’t win many 4 point games. So maybe that’s not an old saying, but you get the point.<\/p>\n

A Charles Cooke trey got the Dukes within 3 points with under 30 seconds remaining. Unfortunately, \u00a0JMU turned the ball over before getting a shot on its next possession and Detroit closed it out. Four Dukes reached double figures in scoring. Charles Cooke continues to be one of the sneakiest scoring threats out there. He led the way with 17. Andrey Semenov scored 14, in addition to showing some terrific court vision and passing ability. Freshmen Jackson Kent and Tom Vodanovich chipped in 10 points each. Here are a couple quick thoughts on the loss.<\/p>\n

Glass Half Full<\/strong><\/p>\n

Obviously, missing 19 free throws makes the close loss tough to stomach. JMU could, and probably should have won this game. They made a lot of the sort of mistakes you’d expect the second youngest team in the nation to make. But there is just no denying that the leaving 19 points on the foul line was a major factor in the loss. However, the Dukes got to the line 45 times. That was the most attempts from the line JMU has had since attempting 48 against VMI in November of 2006. While it’s unreasonable to think that the Dukes will get 40+ free throw attempts in most games, getting more opportunities for free points is obviously great. And so far in this young season the Dukes have gotten to the line more times each game. If the trend continues, it could be a positive factor for the Dukes this season.<\/p>\n

Jackson Kent<\/strong><\/p>\n

This kid looks like a player. JMU found itself down 48-40 with just over 13 minutes in the game. It was a situation in which A.J. Davis or Devon Moore would have been called upon to step up last year. Last night, Kent stepped up and single-handedly pulled JMU back into the game, scoring 7 straight points. In the second half he showed the ability to hit from long range and score going to the hole. Fellow freshman Tom Vodanovich and Ivan Lukic also looked good, but Kent was the rookie who really stepped up in a critical time for JMU.<\/p>\n

Electric Zoo<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Student Duke Club is making a real push this year to get students back into the Convo and bring back the “Electric Zoo” atmosphere of the past. Job well done on opening night. The students were there and were loud throughout the game. I have no idea what that weird chirping noise is that they were making when Detroit had the ball. It was annoying for fans watching the game via Madizone, and I imagine it was even worse for the Detroit players on the court. Well done students. Hope the support builds all season.<\/p>\n