Dukes Take on Challenging Matchup Against Marshall This Thursday

James Madison Dukes (9-6, 2-1 SBC) at Marshall Thundering Herd (8-8, 1-2 SBC)

Jan. 9, 2025 – 7 p.m. ET

Huntington, W.Va. – Cam Henderson Center

Game Links

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DUKES ENCOUNTER ROAD CHALLENGE AT MARSHALL THURSDAY EVENING

• The James Madison men’s basketball squad initiates a two-game road journey at Marshall on Thursday, January 9 at 7 p.m. 
• The Dukes have secured three consecutive victories, the most recent being a 67-62 win over Sun Belt contenders Arkansas State last Saturday at the Atlantic Union Bank Center. JMU also triumphed over Southern Miss 83-72 on Thursday.
• Marshall enters the contest with an 8-8 record, having gone 1-1 last week. The Thundering Herd achieved a 77-71 victory over Texas State on Jan. 2 but experienced a narrow defeat of 58-57 against Troy on Saturday, Jan. 4. 
• The game will be broadcasted on ESPN+, featuring Mark Martin (PxP) and Ot Elmore (color). Dave Riggert will provide commentary on WSVA 92.1 FM | 550 AM and the Varsity Network App, with coverage starting at 6:30 p.m. 
• JMU is striving for its first road victory of the season (0-4), while Marshall holds an 8-2 record at the Cam Henderson Center. In home contests this season, the Thundering Herd scores an average of 79.8 points per game while outpacing their opponents by around 13.4 points per game. 

JMU VS. MARSHALL

• JMU maintains a 7-2 advantage over Marshall historically and boasts a 4-1 record against the Thundering Herd in Sun Belt matchups – which includes three consecutive victories.
• The most recent encounter took place in the Quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Championship, where JMU earned an 81-64 win on March 9, 2024. Previous to that, JMU also beat Marshall 84-58 on Feb. 21, 2024, and 67-52 on Jan. 20, 2024, with the latter occurring at home. 
• The Dukes are 3-1 in contests against the Thundering Herd in Huntington, with their only defeat occurring during the inaugural meeting on Dec. 7, 2010 (67-63). 

Last Five Encounters:

ABOUT MARSHALL

• Marshall presently holds an 8-8 record and stands at 1-2 in Sun Belt contests. The Thundering Herd bested Texas State 77-71 on Jan. 2 but faced narrow defeats against Southern Miss (68-66) and Troy (58-57). 
• Marshall was positioned 10th in the Preseason Sun Belt Coaches Poll. Senior forward Nate Martin and fifth-year forward Obinna Anochili-Killen received recognition on the first and second teams, respectively.
• As a collective unit, Marshall ranks fourth in the Sun Belt for scoring offense (74.9 points per game) while conceding 71.3 ppg. They permit opponents to shoot 44 percent from the field while they shoot 43.9 percent. Marshall is last in the Sun Belt for three-point FG% at 28.1 and ranks fourth in blocked shots (4.13/game).
• Three athletes are averaging double digits in scoring: Anochili-Killen (13.1), Mikal Dawson (12.6), and Dezayne Mingo (11). Martin leads Marshall in rebounding with 7.7 per game.
• After this matchup, Marshall will commence a four-game road stretch, beginning with a rematch against JMU on Jan. 16.  The Herd will subsequently travel to Coastal Carolina (Jan. 18), Georgia State (Jan. 23), and Georgia Southern (Jan. 25). 

LAST TIME OUT

• James Madison rallied from a 13-point first-half deficit to defeat Arkansas State, 67-62, on Saturday, Jan. 4, at the Atlantic Union Bank Center.
• Xavier Brown (18) and Elijah Hutchins-Everett (17) totaled 35 points on 14-of-26 (.538) shooting, leading the Dukes’ offensive efforts. JMU secured a commanding 41-30 advantage on the boards, with AJ Smith and Eddie Ricks III each grabbing nine rebounds.
• JMU was behind by as much as 13 (39-26) in the initial half; however, the Dukes fought back, with a three-pointer from Hutchins-Everett leveling the score at 55-55 with 6:15 remaining, igniting a 10-0 run that propelled JMU ahead with a 62-55 advantage. 
• Following a season-high 12 turnovers in the first half, the Dukes committed only three in the second half. 
• A-State’s 23 second-half points represented a decrease of six compared to their previous season-low of 28 in the initial half against UAB on Dec. 15.

LOVINGS-WATTS MAKES IMMEDIATE IMPACT

• Northern Illinois transfer Will Lovings-Watts marked his JMU debut against Southern Miss on Jan. 2, netting five points alongside two rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 10 minutes of play against the Golden Eagles. 
• The Jeffersonville, Ind., native – who received All-Freshman team honors in the Mid-American Conference for the 2023-24 season – averaged 6.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game while with the Huskies during the 2023-24 season. 
• He also participated for five minutes against Arkansas State last Saturday, successfully hitting a three-pointer – his sole shot attempt. 
• “I believe he can contribute significantly to this team,” Head Coach Preston Spradlin remarked postgame Thursday in response to a query about Lovings-Watts. “He provided us with an excellent boost and I think he’s just beginning to show what he can do once he gets more opportunities.

SWAGG RECORDS 30; REACHES ASSIST MILESTONE

• Redshirt senior guard Mark Freeman achieved a season-high 30 points in JMU’s 83-72 victory over Southern Miss on Thursday, Jan. 2. This marked Freeman’s fourth career game of 30 points and his first while wearing a JMU uniform. He concluded the game with an impressive 9-of-16 (.563) shooting from the field and 4-of-8 (.500) from beyond the arc, in addition to distributing four assists. 
• The 30 points stands as the third-most by a JMU player since the Atlantic Union Bank Center opened prior to the 2020-21 season, joining Vado Morse (32) and Julien Wooden (31). He became thefirst JMU athlete to achieve 30 or more since Terrence Edwards Jr. also recorded 30 at Georgia State on Feb. 28, 2024. 
• After 15 matches in 2024-25, Freeman ranks third on JMU in scoring (12.0) and leads the Dukes in total assists (54) and assists per game (3.6). In the faceoff against Arkansas State on Jan. 4, he attained the 500th assist of his career – making him the 27th active Division I player to surpass 500 assists.