HARRISONBURG, Va. – T.J. Bickerstaff’s stellar performance, combined with a full team effort, propelled James Madison men’s basketball to a 105-67 victory over Coastal Carolina in Thursday night’s Sun Belt Conference game at the Atlantic Union Bank Center.

Bickerstaff scored a team-high 19 points, all of which came in the first half. He finished 100 percent from the field, making all nine of his attempted shots in the 14 minutes he played during the first half. Four of his nine field goals were dunks, and one of those dunks was a putback, which proved to be the first of many highlights for the team throughout the night.

Noah Freidel, Terrence Edwards Jr., and Jaylen Carey each notched double-digit points for JMU, contributing 17, 16, and 14 points, respectively. Carey also equaled Bickerstaff’s game-high with seven rebounds. Xavier Brown scored nine points, all in the second half, while Bryant Randleman was also close to double figures with eight points, including two 3-pointers.

The Dukes notched 27 assists on a 60.3 percent shooting accuracy from the field, marking season-best performances in both categories, and underscoring a cohesive team effort.

Coastal Carolina was stifled by JMU’s defense, which forced 22 Chanticleer turnovers and scored 43 points, accounting for 41 percent of its points. The Chants were led by Jacob Meyer who finished with 20 points. John Ojiako, who entered the game averaging over 12 points and 10 rebounds per game, was held to nine points and six rebounds.

How It Happened
1st Half
• TJ Bickerstaff crashed the boards and tipped in the Dukes’ first bucket of the game (2-2)
• Edwards hit a floater in the paint on the next possession to put JMU up 4-2 at the 18:22 mark. The team was able to maintain an advantage for the remainder of the game.
• Noah Freidel hit his first 3-pointer of the game, leading the Dukes to go on a 10-0 run over the next three minutes of play.
• JMU’s solid defense forced four turnovers in first three-and-a-half minutes, leading to a Coastal scoring drought after hitting the first shot of the game.
• CCU then scored five-straight, which included its first 3-pointer of the game.
• A putback dunk by Bickerstaff was the highlight play of the first half, and was part of an 11-0 run for JMU, pushing the Dukes to their largest lead of the half 44-23 (21 points).
• The teams traded baskets for the next few minutes before settling at 52-34 to enter halftime.

2nd Half
• JMU hit its first three shots of the second half, all from 3-point land. Wooden, Brown, and Edwards hit a barrage of triples that fueled an 11-0 run to start the half leading to a timeout by Coastal.
• Randleman scored five-straight points and added to the mix of threes.
• CCU went on a 7-0 run to make it a 27-point game (70-43) with 13:35 remaining, but that would be the closest it got.
• JMU had four of its nine dunks in a five-and-a-half minute span.
• Jerrell Roberson then hit his first collegiate 3-pointer and gave the Dukes their largest lead of the game (47 points), and pushing JMU past the century mark for the fourth time this season.
• The Chanticleers went on a 14-3 run, making four of their six shots in this stretch, but Shane Feden and Jarrell Pope both hit a free throw to close out the game.

Other Notes:
• With the win, JMU improved to 4-0 against the Chanticleers.
• Xavier Brown (7) and Michael Green III (5) combined for 12 of the Dukes’ 27 assists.
• The 38-point margin of victory is JMU’s largest margin of victory versus a Sun Belt opponent since joining the league in 2022, its previous a 34-point win over South Alabama on Jan. 11.
• The Dukes forced 22 turnovers, a season-high for Coastal. Moreover, JMU scored 43 points off those turnovers, including 23 fast break points.
• JMU hit 21-of-34 (.617) in the first half, including scoring 50 points in a half for the fourth and fifth times this season (52 first, 53 second)
• The Dukes finished with a season-high 27 assists.
• Xavier Brown tied his career-high with seven assists.
• JMU out-rebounded Coastal 35-23, the 18th time in 22 games the Dukes have corralled more rebounds than their opponent this season.
• Coastal Carolina surrendered 100 points for the first time since Jan 14, 2023, against Georgia State.
• Raekwon Horton recorded four steals, which tied his career high.
• JMU finished with his highest field goal percentage (.603) against a Division I opponent this season, its previous best was a 56.3 percent shooting effort against Fresno State on Nov. 22.
• The Dukes’ 41 made field goals marks the first time Coastal Carolina has given up 40 or more field goals since Feb. 4, 2020, against Texas State.
• JMU scored 100 points for the fourth time this season. Through 22 games, the Dukes are averaging 86 points per game, on pace for the highest mark in school history.
• Jaylen Carey finished with 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting, the sixth time the freshman has reached double-figures this season.

— JMU Athletics —