Sizzling Shooting Sparks Commanding Victory Over Marshall

HUNTINGTON, W. VA. – James Madison registered a season-high 55.0 percent (11-of-20) from beyond the arc and 54.1 percent (33-of-61) overall to sail past Marshall, 93-65, on Wednesday evening inside the Cam Henderson Center in Sun Belt Conference women’s basketball competition.
 
JMU (14-4, 6-0 SBC) recorded a seasonal-best 14 steals and converted 20 Marshall turnovers (5-12, 0-6 SBC) into 29 points for the Dukes’ sixth straight victory.
 
Ro Scott led the Dukes with 20 points on 7-of-11 (.636) and secured three steals coming off the bench in her return to Huntington. Peyton McDaniel contributed 15 points and six rebounds, hitting 3-of-6 (.500) from long range. Zakiya Stephenson matched her personal best with 13 points and provided six assists, while Kseniia Kozlova added 13 points and collected six rebounds.
 
Jamia Hazell added nine points and registered two blocks. Bree Robinson went 2-for-2 from three and secured two steals.
 
CC Mays topped all competitors with 24 points following an 8-for-13 (.615) performance from the field. Aislynn Hayes was the sole other player from the Herd to score in double digits, wrapping up with 12 points and four assists. Leyocha Marigney grabbed a game-high seven rebounds alongside nine points.
 
How It Unfolded
First Quarter – JMU 24, Marshall 10

• The Dukes restricted Marshall to 1-of-8 (.125) from the field for an 11-2 JMU advantage at the initial media timeout.
• JMU sank four three-pointers in the quarter, notably highlighted by Scott’s 2-for-2 effort.

 
Second Quarter – JMU 50, Marshall 30

• Eight Dukes tallied points in the quarter, with McDaniel leading at six.
• A 10-0 surge fueled by Robinson propelled the Dukes to a 45-23 lead with 1:48 remaining in the period.
• JMU concluded the first half shooting 17-of-32 (.531) from the field, 7-of-14 (.500) from three-point range, and 9-of-10 (.900) from the charity stripe.

 
Third Quarter – JMU 71, Marshall 45

• McDaniel netted a pair of early shots from beyond the arc to extend the lead to 61-39 at the media stoppage.
• The Dukes displayed active defense, accumulating seven steals and one block during the quarter.

 
Fourth Quarter – JMU 93, Marshall 65

• Stephenson connected on a corner three courtesy of Scott, granting the Dukes their largest lead of the contest, 84-55, at the 6:03 mark.
• JMU finished the game shooting 8-for-15 (.533) from the field to secure a 93-65 triumph.

 
Game Highlights

• The Dukes’ 93 points mark the highest scored against a conference rival since their victory over College of Charleston 107-58 on March 14, 2015, while part of the Colonial Athletic Association.
• The 93 points are also the most by JMU in an away conference game since achieving a 93-45 win at Georgia State on Feb. 24, 2011.
• Furthermore, the 93 points are tied for the highest in a road conference matchup since falling to Richmond in overtime, 114-104, on Jan. 9, 2000.
• James Madison boasts a 10-4 record in the all-time series against Marshall and has triumphed in the last two encounters.
• JMU’s 24 points in the opening quarter are a season-best for the 2024-25 campaign.
• The Dukes have started 6-0 or better in league play for the third time under Head Coach Sean O’Regan, with previous seasons including a 6-0 start in the Dukes’ inaugural Sun Belt season (2022-23) and a 10-0 run during the 2017-18 year as part of the Colonial Athletic Association.
• JMU held advantages in points in the paint (38-26), contributions from the bench (35-20), points generated from turnovers (29-15), and fast break points (17-5).
• Marshall’s Meredith Maier, who entered the game as the Sun Belt’s leader in three-pointers made, went a combined 0-for-10 against the Dukes.