{"id":6518,"date":"2014-02-13T09:05:49","date_gmt":"2014-02-13T14:05:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=6518"},"modified":"2014-02-13T09:05:49","modified_gmt":"2014-02-13T14:05:49","slug":"delaware-slams-dukes-in-newark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=6518","title":{"rendered":"Delaware Slams Dukes in Newark"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"XSGYZLKKIQSSVAL.20130920171919\"<\/a>JMU had a rough outing in Newark. And that’s putting it mildly. The Blue Hens defeated the Dukes by the score of 81-65<\/a>. The loss drops JMU to 9-17 and 4-8 in the CAA. Delaware is now 19-7 and 11-0 in the league. The first contest between these two teams came down to the last possession. JMU had a chance to tie with time winding down, but a questionable no-call on a Ron Curry drive left the Dukes wondering what if. There was no wondering tonight. Thanks largely to Davon Usher’s 18 first half points, Delaware took control early and never looked back.<\/p>\n

Silver Lining<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you’ve been reading this blog or following us on Twitter, you know we’ve been high on Yohanny Dalembert’s potential. He’s very raw, but has the strength and athleticism to develop into a really nice post player. And he plays really hard. His effort against Delaware will probably lead to more folks jumping on the bandwagon. He notched his first career double-double with 15 points and 13 boards. Coach Brady announced after the game that he’ll be starting over Taylor Bessick this Saturday against UNCW.<\/p>\n

Dalembert only has \u00a0a few years of experience playing organized basketball, so folks probably need to temper expectations. He probably won’t be filling up the box score most games. But he probably will mix it up and do the little things coaches love. Not coincidentally, the same sort of things Taylor Bessick has failed to do lately. Coach Brady was pretty pointed with his criticism of Bessick after the game. Like Dalembert, Bessick has a ton of potential. For whatever reason, he seems to be playing with a lack of energy and enthusiasm lately though. Hopefully losing his starting spot will motivate Bessick to up the intensity. Because if both he and Dalembert can play to their potential the next few years, JMU will be tough to beat in the paint.<\/p>\n

Redshirt freshmen Dimitrije Cabarkapa also got on the court last night and made the most of his limited playing time. He scored the first 6 points of his college career with a trey, a jumper, and a free throw.<\/p>\n

Everything Else<\/strong><\/p>\n

Those were the highlights. Brady cleared the bench and had the bench players close this one out. They played hard in an ugly and chippy game, but it made no difference. Essentially, JMU looked very much like the young and inexperienced team it is. And Delaware looked every bit of the experienced team that it is. The Blue Hens are a better team. That much is clear. But JMU was out of sorts and lacking focus for most of the first half. Poor shooting, suspect defense, and silly mistakes. Delaware took advantage of all of them and cruised home for an easy win. That’s it. Now JMU needs to grow from this and bounce back with a big win at home against UNCW.<\/p>\n