HARRISONBURG, Va. (JMU Athletics) – James Madison shot 4-of-29 (.138) from three and 21-of-78 (.269) from the field in a 72-57 loss at the hands of George Mason in non-conference women’s basketball action on Thursday night inside the Atlantic Union Bank Center.

The Dukes (1-1) out-rebounded the Patriots (1-1), 53-45, however, JMU only scored nine points from its 25 offensive boards. Meanwhile, GMU shot 14-of-30 (.467) from beyond the arc, highlighted by going 10-of-17 (.588) to bridge the halves.

Ashanti Barnes notched her first double-double of the season, finishing with 21 points and tying her career high with 16 rebounds. Peyton McDaniel registered 15 points and eight boards, while Bree Robinson paced the Dukes with five steals. Zakiya Stephenson dished out four assists in the loss.

For George Mason, Zahirah Walton led all players with 22 points, knocking down 4-of-8 (.500) from three to go along with seven rebounds. Teammate Kennedy Harris added 13 points with a 3-of-7 (.429) mark from beyond the arc.

How It Happened
First Quarter – GMU 13, JMU 12
• The Patriots led 11-8 at the first media timeout after connecting on 3-of-7 (.429) from three-point range and held a one-point advantage at the end of the period.

Second Quarter – GMU 35, JMU 16
• George Mason went 6-for-7 (.857) from the long line, outscoring the Dukes 22-7 in the period for a commanding 35-19 lead at the break.
• JMU shot 3-of-22 (.136) from the field, while the Patriots managed to connect on 7-of-14 (.500) from the floor.
• At the half, GMU had knocked down 9-of-16 (.563) from three compared to the Dukes’ 0-for-12.

Third Quarter – GMU 53, JMU 33
• Trailing 44-19 early in the frame, the Dukes rattled off a 10-0 run, with eight points coming from McDaniel, to make it a 15-point game (44-29) with 4:59 left.
• After that point, JMU missed its next six shots as George Mason built its lead back to 20 (53-33) at the end of the period.

Fourth Quarter – GMU 72, JMU 57
• The Dukes outscored the Patriots 24-19 in the final period, scoring 12 points in the paint and nine on fast breaks.
• Barnes recorded 14 points, going 6-for-10 (.600) from the field.

Game Notes
• George Mason held an advantage in points off turnovers (20-15), bench points (17-9) and second-chance points (13-7), while the Dukes led in points in the paint (34-18) and fast-break points (20-13).
• Barnes’ double-double was the ninth of her Division I career and her first since producing 17 points and 13 rebounds in last season’s Sun Belt Conference Championship game versus Arkansas State on March 10.
• Robinson has now recorded five or more steals for the third times in her career.
• JMU’s 13.8 percent (4-of-29) clip from three is the program’s least efficient outing since shooting 11.8 percent (2-of-17) against Southern Miss on Jan. 24, 2025.

Up Next
The Dukes are set for a Sunday afternoon date with Queens (N.C.) in Harrisonburg. The opening tip is slated for 4 p.m.

— JMU Athletics —