CANCUN, Mexico, Nov. 24, 2012 -- Senior guard Tarik Hislop (Silver Spring, Md./Paint Branch) scored 30 points to lead James Madison (3-3) to a 63-58 win over Wichita State (2-4) in in the Cancun Challenge women's basketball tournament Saturday at Moon Palace Resort.
Hislop reached the 30-point mark for the second time in three games after scoring a career-high 32 in the Dukes' overtime win over Green Bay on Thursday. Also in double figures for JMU was redshirt senior guard Jasmine Gill (Greensboro, N.C./Page), who had her first JMU double-double with 10 points and a career-high 11 rebounds.
There were seven ties and 15 lead changes before JMU used a 13-4 run midway through the second half to take the lead for good. Hislop scored seven of those points, including a layup off a steal to cap the run and give JMU a 48-40 advantage with 7:38 left. Gill added four points during the stretch.
The Dukes pushed their lead to 11, 59-48, on a driving layup by senior forward Nikki Newman (Harrisonburg, Va./Turner Ashby) with 2:57 to play.
But the Shockers, buoyed by 3-pointers by Jessica Diamond and Danice Fountain, outscored JMU 10-2 in just under two minutes to close the gap to three, 61-58, on Fountain's trey with nine seconds left.
Hislop, however, iced the game with 7.3 seconds to go as she connected on both ends a 1+1 free throw for the final 63-58 margin.
JMU held a 43-36 advantage in rebounding and shot 42 percent (25-59) to 38 percent (21-55) for Wichita State.
NOTES:
* The Dukes dressed only nine players. Sophomore forward Toia Giggetts (Norfolk, Va./Lake Taylor) was sidelined for her third game since suffering a concussion in practice in the last week, and freshman guard Angela Mickens (Staunton, Va./Lee) sat out the game after suffering an injury in the late stages of Friday's game against Minnesota.
