BROOKLYN, N.Y. (JMU Athletics) – LIU shot 59 percent from the floor and used 56 first-half points to defeat James Madison men’s basketball, 88-79, on Saturday night at the Steinberg Wellness Center.

LIU (3-1) built a 17-point halftime lead on the heels of 24-of-34 (.706) shooting in the first half and held off JMU (2-3) in the second for the win.

Bradley Douglas had 16 points to lead JMU in scoring, one of four Dukes to reach double figures. Along with Douglas, Cliff Davis (15), Gabe Newhof (13), and Justin McBride (10) all eclipsed 10 or more points.

Eddie Ricks III collected eight rebounds, while Paul Lewis had four assists off the bench.

Malachi Davis and Jamal Fuller each scored 21 points to lead the Sharks in scoring. Fuller added eight rebounds and three assists, while Davis dished out eight helpers.

How It Happened
First Half: LIU 56, JMU 39
• LIU hit 8 of its first 12 shots from the floor and led 19-10 at the first media timeout with just under 16 minutes left.
• The Sharks shot lights out in the first half, finishing 24-of-34 (.706) and scoring 56 points in the first half to go into the break leading 56-39.

Second Half: JMU 40, LIU 32
• A layup from Malachi Davis gave LIU its biggest lead of the contest at 68-49 with 13:06 left.
• The Dukes chipped away from that point as a three-pointer from Cliff Davis made it 71-62 LIU with 9:16 remaining,
• A layup from Douglas trimmed the LIU lead to 83-77, the closest JMU would get. The Sharks put the game away at the free-throw line.

Game Notes
• LIU won its first game against JMU in four previous attempts.
• Ricks III finished with eight rebounds, bringing his season total to 33 (6.6 per game).
• Cliff Davis finished with 15 points and leads the Dukes in scoring (13.2 per game) through five games. He has scored 14 or more points in four of five contests.
• JMU finished with 12 offensive rebounds and has now corralled double-digit offensive boards in four of five games.

Up Next
JMU returns home for a matchup against CAA favorites Towson on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m. inside the Atlantic Union Bank Center.

— JMU Athletics —