HARRISONBURG, Va. (JMU Athletics) – James Madison won its fourth straight game, using defense and balanced scoring to cruise past Old Dominion 68-54 on Saturday afternoon at the Atlantic Union Bank Center.

Three JMU (14-9, 7-4 SBC) players reached double figures, led by Mark Freeman’s 17-point showing. Bryce Lindsay (14) and Elijah Hutchins-Everett (13) also scored 10 or more while the Dukes held Old Dominion (10-13, 6-5 SBC) to 34.0 percent (18-of-53) from the floor and held the Monarchs to just eight offensive rebounds.

The Dukes finished with 13 offensive rebounds and scored 19 second-chance points, compared to just eight for ODU. AJ Smith led the Dukes with nine rebounds and Hutchins-Everett had eight.

Sean Durugordon led ODU with 18 points and eight rebounds, while Robert Davis Jr. – the Monarchs’ leading scorer – finished with just 10 points. Jaden Johnson led ODU with seven assists.

How It Happened
First Half: James Madison 36, Old Dominion 25
• After a cold start for both teams, JMU scored 11 of 13 points to open up a seven-point advantage (11-4) on a dunk from Smith with 12:21 remaining.
• The Monarchs battled and trimmed the JMU lead to two (19-17) on a three from Durugordon with 8:12 on the clock before Freeman and Hutchins-Everett combined for the next nine to put the Dukes back up 28-20 with just over five minutes remaining until half.
• Smith and Freeman hit jumpers to give JMU a 36-25 lead at the break. The Dukes outrebounded the Monarchs 22-13 in the opening 20 minutes.

Second Half: James Madison 32, Old Dominion 29
• The Dukes doubled up the Monarchs in the first nine minutes of the second half, opening up their biggest lead (61-36) with 10:52 to go
• Overall, 15 JMU players entered the game as the Dukes were able to clear their bench in the closing minutes.

Game Notes
• JMU won its ninth straight game against Old Dominion. Since joining the Sun Belt Conference in 2022-23, the Dukes are 7-0 against the Monarchs.
• With the win, JMU moves its lead in this year’s TowneBank Royal Rivalry Challenge to 7-3 over Old Dominion. JMU has now won all 13 meetings in men’s and women’s basketball since the two joined the Sun Belt in 2022.
• Today’s attendance of 6,129 is the highest of the 2024-25 season and the highest since Georgia Southern (6,796) on Feb. 17, 2024.
• Lindsay finished 4-of-9 from behind the arc, scoring 14 points. This season, he has made four or more threes eight times and is shooting 41.4 percent from three overall.
• Hutchins-Everett finished with 13 points and has 10 or more points in 18 of 23 games this season. In his career, he has scored double figures 58 times.
• JMU allowed its fewest total points (54) to a Division I team this season.
• The Dukes allowed 25 first-half points, the fourth time they have held their opponent to 25 points or less. In those games, JMU is 3-1.

— JMU Athletics —