CANCUN, Mexico, Nov. 22, 2012 -- Senior guard Tarik
Hislop (Silver Spring, Md./Paint Branch) scored a career-high 32 points to
lead the James Madison women's basketball team (2-2) to an 89-86
overtime win over Wisconsin-Green Bay (2-1) in the Cancun Challenge at
Moon Palace Resort.
Hislop scored seven of JMU's 10 points in the overtime period, when she hit two
jumpers and connected on three of four foul shots.
The loss was the first of the season for Green Bay, which is receiving votes in
both the Associated Press and USA Today Top 25 polls and is ranked number one
in the CollegeInsider.com mid-major poll.
JMU is ranked number 20 in the mid-major poll.
The Dukes forced overtime after trailing by four points, 77-73, with 14.7
seconds left in regulation. JMU junior guard Kirby Burkholder (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) was fouled on a 3-point
try with 8.8 seconds remaining, and she converted all three foul shots to close
the gap to 77-76.
After Green Bay took a 79-76 lead on two Adrian
Ritchie free throws with 7.5 seconds to go, Hislop hit a 3-pointer with 2.3
seconds left to tie the game at 79 and send the contest to an extra five
minutes.
The lead changed hands five times in overtime, but it was a Burkholder
3-pointer with 24.7 seconds that gave the Dukes the lead for good at 87-86.
Green Bay's Stephanie Sension missed
twice from close range on her team's next possession, and Hislop got the
rebound on the second miss and was fouled.
Her free throws with seven-tenths of a second remaining gave JMU the
final 89-86 margin.
Four JMU players scored in double figures, including Burkholder, who added 16
points along with eight rebounds. Sophomore
forward/center Crystal Ross
(Philadelphia, Pa./Smyrna, Del. H.S.) scored a career-high 13 points and grabbed
a team-leading nine rebounds. Redshirt
freshman guard Jazmon Gwathmey
(Bealeton, Va./Liberty) had career highs of 13 points and six rebounds.
All five Green Bay starters scored in double figures, led by Ritchie with
26. Sension scored 19 and finished with
a game-high 10 rebounds. Sarah Eichler scored 16, Megan Lukan added 13 and Lydia Bauer scored 10.
JMU shot a season-high 50 percent (33-66) from the field, and Green Bay shot 47
percent (31-66) from the floor. The
Dukes held a 41-34 rebounding advantage.
The Dukes face Minnesota in the second round of the Cancun Challenge on Nov. 23
at 3:30 p.m. ET. The Gophers lost 58-46
to Richmond on Thursday.
NOTES:
* The Dukes dressed only 10 players.
Sophomore forward Toia Giggetts
(Norfolk, Va./Lake Taylor) has been out since suffering a concussion in
practice in the last week.
* Two JMU players fouled out. Senior
forward Nikki Newman (Harrisonburg,
Va./Turner Ashby) got her fifth foul with 55.6 seconds to play in
regulation. Gwathmey fouled out with
3:04 left in overtime.
* JMU coach Kenny Brooks has a 15-7 record in overtime games in his 11 seasons
with the Dukes. His teams have won the
last eight JMU contests that have been decided in overtime.
* Green Bay's biggest lead was six points, on four occasions, the last time at
74-68 at 2:40 in the second half.
* JMU's largest lead was seven, twice, the last time 56-49 at 10:54 of the
second period.
