—Junior guard Melissa Book scored a career-high 14 points and was 4-for-4 from 3-point range, but the UMBC women's basketball team (1-3) lost to James Madison (3-0) by a score of 74-61 Friday evening at the RAC Arena.
The game was tied, 6-6, after four minutes of play before the Dukes scored eight in a row to take a 14-6 lead at the 12:40 mark. But seven straight points by junior guard Chantay Frazier sparked an 11-5 UMBC run to close back to within two, 19-17, with 7:30 remaining.
The Dukes countered with a 10-2 run of their own to open up a 10-point lead with under three minutes to play in the first half before junior guard Morgan Hatten drilled a 3-pointer, igniting an 8-2 Retriever spurt to finish the first half which cut James Madison's lead to four points, 31-27.
Frazier led all scorers with nine points in the first half and added a team-high five rebounds. Lauren Jimenez led JMU with seven points, while Colonial Athletic Association Preseason Player of the Year Tamera Young had a game-high seven rebounds to lead the Dukes, who posted 30 boards in the first half, including 15 on the offensive end, which led to 12 second-chance points.
After the Dukes jumped out to a 46-32 lead with a 15-5 run to open the second half, Book drained back-to-back 3-pointers to cut the deficit to single digits with 14:40 to play. But a 17-4 spurt by JMU put the game out of reach, 63-44, with 7:41 to play.
The Retrievers finished strong down the stretch, led by six points from junior center MacKenzie Butler and five each from Frazier and freshman guard Chelsea Barker.
Book and Frazier scored a team-high 14 points apiece, and Frazier finished with six rebounds. Butler added 12 points, four assists and two blocks.
Kisha Stokes led all scorers with 16 points for James Madison, and Young posted a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds and added five assists. Jimenez and Dawn Evans also scored 13 points each for the Dukes.
James Madison controlled the glass, out-rebounding UMBC, 58-25, with 29 offensive boards. The Dukes finished the game with 22 second-chance points.
Troubled by turnovers and poor shooting in their last game, the Retrievers improved on both counts, committing just seven turnovers and shooting 39.7 percent (23-for-58) from the floor, including 42.9 percent (9-for-21) from 3-point range. James Madison shot 40.3 percent (29-for-72) from the floor but just 21.1 percent (4-for-19) from long distance.
The Retrievers return to action Wednesday, Nov. 21, when they take on their second straight CAA opponent, George Mason, at 2 p.m. at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va.
