HARRISONBURG, Va. (JMU Athletics) – Justin McBride and Eli Wilborn hit three free throws in the final 20 seconds to propel James Madison men’s basketball to a 73-71 win over Toledo on Saturday afternoon at the Atlantic Union Bank Center.
JMU (12-13) led by as many as nine in the second half but saw Toledo (12-12) rally to take a 71-70 lead with 33 seconds left on a layup from Leroy Blyden Jr. However, McBride and Wilborn sank clutch free throws and got a defensive stop to give the Dukes the win.
Cliff Davis led the Dukes with 18 points, while Bradley Douglas notched 16 points while finishing 6-of-10 from the floor and 4-of-6 from deep. Preston Fowler led JMU with nine rebounds – five offensive – and scored four points. In his return from injury, McBride notched eight points, including two free throws to give the Dukes the lead with 20 seconds remaining.
JMU outrebounded Toledo 39-27 and finished with 29 bench points and 17 fast-break points.
Blyden Jr. (24) and Sonny Wilson (20) combined for 44 points to lead Toledo in scoring. Overall, the Rockets shot 48.3 percent from the floor.
How It Happened
First Half: James Madison 32, Toledo 32
• A second-chance layup from Eddie Ricks III gave the Dukes their first lead (11-10) at the 12:07 mark.
• After being tied 12-12, Toledo pulled ahead 20-17 after hitting three 3-pointers with 8:26 left. lead at the 8:26 mark.
• Both squads were neck and neck throughout the first half, with the lead changing hands six times before the break.
Second Half: James Madison 73, Toledo 71
• The Dukes opened the half on a 13-4 run to grab a nine-point lead at the 13:33 mark, with seven of their points coming off turnovers.
• After JMU maintained its lead over the next 10 minutes, a pair of driving layups from Toledo allowed the Rockets to draw within a basket at the under-four media timeout.
• After taking a one-point lead with just over 30 seconds remaining, McBride and Wilborn capitalized on two trips to the charity stripe, converting on three of four free throws to grab the win.
Game Notes
• JMU evened the all-time series with Toledo 1-1 and improved to 4-2 in MAC-SBC Challenge games (since 2023-24).
• Davis notched his eighth straight game in double figures. During that span, Davis is averaging 17.1 points.
• Douglas’ four made triples marks his most since making four at Arkansas on Dec. 29.
— JMU Athletics —
