HARRISONBURG, Va. (JMU Athletics) – Trailing 74-71 with 2:16 remaining, James Madison closed on a 7-0 run and forced Ball State to commit two turnovers over the final 58 seconds to prevail in a 78-74 women’s basketball victory in the final leg of the MAC-SBC Challenge on Saturday afternoon at the Atlantic Union Bank Center.

Kseniia Kozlova registered 12 points in the win to eclipse 1,000 career points. Kozlova made 5-of-9 (.555) from the field and pulled down six rebounds in the win.

JMU (21-4, 12-0 SBC) shot 42.9 percent (9-of-21) from three and recorded a season-low eight turnovers to capture its 13th consecutive victory. The Dukes also turned Ball State’s (19-5, 11-1 MAC) 13 turnovers into 12 points to end the Cardinals’ 13-game winning streak.

Ashanti Barnes scored 18 points after connecting on 4-for-4 from three and tied for the team lead in rebounds with eight. Peyton McDaniel paced the Dukes with 19 points and grabbed eight boards to go along with three steals and a pair of blocks on the defensive end. Bree Robinson finished with nine points, shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from the line, and dished out a team-best four assists off the bench. Ro Scott added seven points with two helpers, while Jamia Hazell and Zakiya Stephenson chipped in with six and five points, respectively.

All Ball State’s starters scored in double figures, as Alex Richard led all players with 22 points, 12 of which came in the second quarter. Madelyn Bischoff produced 14 points and three rebounds, while Ally Becki tallied 12 points and six assists. Marie Kiefer notched 11 points and a game-best three blocks. Lachelle Austin finished with a double-double of 10 points and 10 boards to go along with six assists.

How It Happened
First Quarter – JMU 23, BSU 11
• The Dukes knocked down 3-of-5 (.600) from deep and recorded six second-chance points to take a 16-11 lead at the first media timeout.
• Barnes connected on her third trey of the day as part of an 11-0 run to make it 23-11 with 2:03 left in the opening frame.

Second Quarter – JMU 44, BSU 38
• Ball State hit six of its last seven shots to cut the deficit to six (44-38) at the break.
• McDaniel scored 13 points in the period, shooting 4-of-8 (.500) from the field and 2-of-4 (.500) from three-point range.

Third Quarter – JMU 62, BSU 59
• A triple from Becki tied the game at 50-50 at the 5:16 mark.
• Stephenson knocked down a three from the wing at the buzzer to give the Dukes a three-point advantage (62-59) heading into the final frame.

Fourth Quarter – JMU 78, BSU 74
• Austin found Bischoff in the corner, who knocked down the triple, to put the Cardinals ahead 74-71 with 2:16 to play.
• After two free throws from McDaniel cut the Dukes’ deficit to one (74-73), JMU forced Ball State into a shot clock violation, followed by a steal on the following possession.
• Robinson and Kozlova combined for 3-of-4 (.750) from the line in the final 26 seconds to seal the win.

Game Notes
• The win marked the Dukes’ 13th straight – tied the team’s longest winning streak since recording 13 consecutive victories from Nov. 23, 2022, to Jan. 14, 2023.
• JMU held advantages in points in the paint (32-22), bench points (18-5), points off turnovers (12-6) and second-chance points (8-3).
• The Dukes’ eight turnovers are the team’s fewest since finishing with six against Georgia State on Jan. 28, 2023.
• Barnes’ four triples are the most in a single game of her career. Coming into the game, the senior was shooting 6-of-38 (.168) from deep.
• JMU is 2-2 all-time in the MAC-SBC Challenge after going 2-0 in this season’s matchups. In the season-opener, James Madison held Kent State to 0-for-19 from three in a 67-56 victory inside the M.A.C. Center on Nov. 4.

— JMU Athletics —