No. 22 James Madison routs DIII Keystone 130-59. 7 Dukes in double figures
HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) — Michael Green III had 21 points and four assists to lead seven James Madison players in double-digit scoring as the No. 22 Dukes ran past Division III Keystone College 130-59 on Sunday.
TJ Bickerstaff had 12 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and three steals in 16 minutes for JMU (8-0), which had 15 players score. Terrence Edwards Jr. and freshman big man Jaylen Carey scored 16 apiece. DaShaun Johnson led Keystone (1-7) with 12 points.
The Dukes had a 21-point lead midway through the first half and the game quickly turned into a series of highlight-reel plays for JMU before coach Mark Byington emptied his bench in the second half. Green hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give him 14 first-half points and make it a 63-30 halftime lead.
JMU increased the lead to 45 points in the first seven minutes of the second half and cruised from there, with walk-ons closing the game out for the Dukes.
THE BIG PICTURE
James Madison matched its best start in school history. The only other time the Dukes opened a season 8-0 since moving to Division I was 1981-82. Those Dukes beat Ohio State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before losing 52-50 to eventual champion North Carolina and Michael Jordan in the second round.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
The Dukes stayed at No. 22, their highest ranking in school history, following a pair of victories in the Cancun Challenge. This week they’ve added victories against a struggling Buffalo team and the Division III Giants. That, combined with losses from other ranked teams, should keep the Dukes in the AP Top 25.
UP NEXT
Keystone: Returns home to face Valley Forge.
James Madison: Travels to face in-state and conference rival Old Dominion in a nonconference game Saturday that won’t count in the Sun Belt Conference standings.
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