HARRISONBURG, Va. (JMU Athletics) – James Madison women’s basketball trailed Liberty by as much as 12 (39-27) early in the second half, but rallied back by shooting 20-for-37 (.647) from the field over the final two quarters, aided by Ashanti Barnes’ career-high 29 points for a 74-61 comeback victory on Wednesday night inside the Atlantic Union Bank Center.
The Dukes (3-1) forced the Lady Flames (2-1) to commit 21 turnovers, while JMU only turned the ball over twice in the second half.
Barnes added 11 rebounds to her 29 points for her 10th career Division I double-double. The forward connected on 9-of-12 (.750) from the field in the second half, including a perfect 6-of-6 in the fourth quarter.
Peyton McDaniel notched 16 points and two assists, while Bree Robinson came away with four steals to go along with 11 points. Zakiya Stephenson finished with eight points and posted career highs in assists (8) and steals (5).
Brianna McLeod registered a career-high four blocks off the bench. Kylie Marshall also found success as a reserve, supplying eight points and three boards in the win.
For Liberty, Emmy Sout and Avery Mills tied for the team lead in scoring with 16 points apiece. Ify Nwaboi led all players with 13 rebounds, while Lydie Mwamba added nine points off the bench.
How It Happened
First Quarter – JMU 20, LU 20
• Liberty led by as many as nine (16-7), however, the Dukes fought back, with Barnes knocking down a left-wing jumper at the buzzer to tie the game at 20-20 at the end of one.
• Marshall provided a spark in the opening frame with eight points, netting 2-of-4 (.500) from three-point range.
Second Quarter – LU 37, JMU 27
• After JMU gained a 22-20 edge, the Lady Flames scored 13 unanswered to go ahead 33-22 with three minutes remaining.
• The Dukes shot 2-of-15 (.133) from the floor, including 1-for-6 (.167) from beyond the arc.
Third Quarter – LU 50, JMU 47
• JMU responded by going 9-for-20 (.450) from the field, scoring 12 points in the paint and forcing Liberty to commit five turnovers.
• McDaniel (7), Barnes (6) and Robinson (5) combined for 18 of the Dukes’ 20 points in the stanza.
Fourth Quarter – JMU 74, LU 61
• James Madison locked in defensively, limiting LU to 5-of-18 (.278) from the floor and 0-for-3 from three.
• Barnes shot an unblemished 6-for-6 from the field for 12 points, while Stephenson recorded six points and two steals as the Dukes outscored Liberty 27-11 in the frame.
Game Notes
• JMU held an advantage in points in the paint (36-26), second-chance points (15-9), points off turnovers (12-9) and fast-break points (10-5).
• The Dukes won despite leading for only 8:41.
• The win marked the program’s first time mounting a comeback to win after being down by double digits at halftime since fighting back to defeat Towson, 89-85, on Jan. 3, 2021. The Dukes found themselves behind 53-42 at the break before pouring in 47 points and holding the Tigers to 5-of-19 (.263) from the field in the fourth.
• James Madison has forced opponents to turn the ball over 20-plus times in four straight games for the first time since the 2014-15 campaign. That season, the Dukes thwarted Delaware (22 TO – Feb. 15), UNCW (25 TO – Feb. 19), Hofstra (20 TO – Feb. 20) and Northeastern (22 TO – Feb. 27).
• Robinson has recorded four or more steals for the fifth time in her career, and the third time this season.
• JMU’s nine turnovers are the fewest since totaling seven against Davidson last season in the opening round of the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament (March 20).
Up Next
The Dukes will complete their five-game homestand when they take on Villanova on Sunday. The opening tip inside the Atlantic Union Bank Center is slated for 2 p.m.
— JMU Athletics —
