NEW ORLEANS (JMU Athletics) – James Madison women’s basketball guard Peyton McDaniel was named Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, while Ro Scott was selected as Sixth Woman of the Year and Head Coach Sean O’Regan was tabbed Coach of the Year in a vote by the league’s 14 head coaches. Additionally, three Dukes were named to the All-Sun Belt Team.

McDaniel was accompanied on the All-Sun Belt First Team by center Kseniia Kozlova while forward Ashanti Barnes landed on the Third Team, marking her first career all-conference nod.

With McDaniel’s selection as Sun Belt Player of the Year, a JMU player has now been voted the conference’s top player 11 times, including the fourth honor under O’Regan. Meanwhile, O’Regan is the fourth JMU head coach to be named Coach of the Year, previously won by Shelia Moorman (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991), Bud Childers (2000) and Kenny Brooks (2007, 2014, 2015, 2016).

This is the first time since 2016 that JMU won both Player and Coach of the Year in the same season, which was also the last time JMU saw multiple players earn all-conference first team status.

McDaniel averaged 16.0 points and 8.4 rebounds to anchor a JMU team that went 27-4 in the regular season with a perfect 18-0 mark in Sun Belt play. The Birdsboro, Pa., native posted a league-best 17.4 points per contest against conference opponents, while shooting an efficient 49.3 percent (109-of-221) from the field, 36.3 percent (37-for-102) from three and 84.1 (58-of-69) from the free throw line. Her offensive prowess led her to crack the program’s top-10 scoring list, now boasting 1,589 points in her career.

O’Regan was named Coach of the Year for the first time in his nine seasons leading the JMU program. JMU claimed its 15th regular-season league title and the No. 1 seed heading into the 2025 Hercules Tires Sun Belt Conference Women’s Basketball Championship. With the 79-51 win over ULM on Friday, the Dukes set the program record for regular-season wins, with the previous record being set by the 2014-15 team (26-3). JMU achieved its fourth undefeated season against league foes, previously going 12-0 in 1986-87, 1987-88 and 1988-89 as members of the Colonial Athletic Association.

The Dukes are one of only eight teams in Sun Belt history to go undefeated in conference play since the league expanded to double-digit league games in 1991-92 and the first since Middle Tennessee in 2011-12. Additionally, James Madison’s 19 consecutive victories are the most under Coach O’Regan and the highest since posting a 20-game winning streak from Jan. 8 through March 12, 2016.

Scott proved to be one of the best players in the nation off the bench, averaging 11.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game to become the third Duke to be named Sixth Woman of the Year. She ranks sixth in Division I in points per game off the bench and is one of two reserves in the country to average over 10 points per game and knock down 40 or more threes. The Earle, Ark., native scored in double-figures 19 times this season and recorded four performances of 20 or more points, highlighted by a season-high 22 points versus then-No. 4 Texas on Dec. 8. Scott produced five games with three or more triples.

Kozlova registered 12.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per outing in her redshirt senior campaign. Kozlova’s numbers improved against league foes, averaging 13.8 points and 7.8 rebounds while shooting 53.9 percent (90-of-167) from the field. She scored in double figures 27 times this season, which included the final 11 games of the regular season, and posted two games with 20-plus. Kozlova also notched seven double-doubles, including double-double efforts against then-No. 6 Notre Dame (14 points, 10 rebounds) and then-No. 21 NC State (15 points, 13 rebounds). The Moscow, Russia, native closed the regular season strong, averaging 18.3 points and 10.0 rebounds per game over the final four contests.

Barnes averaged 10.2 points and 7.8 rebounds across the regular season and recorded 11.1 points and 8.8 boards per contest in 18 league games while shooting 48.1 percent (76-of-158) from the field. She’s the only player in the league to average at least 10 points and seven rebounds while dishing out 50 or more assists. Barnes notched five double-doubles in her senior campaign, highlighted by a 25-point, 10-rebound performance against Marshall on Jan. 9. The Norfolk, Va., native posted three games with at least 20 points, all coming in Sun Belt play.

Top-seeded JMU will next play in the Sun Belt Conference Women’s Basketball Championship semifinals on Sunday, March 9 at 12:30 p.m. ET (11:30 a.m. CT) at the Pensacola Bay Center. The Dukes will face the winner of game nine between No. 4 seed Coastal Carolina and the victor of game seven. With a win, JMU advances to the championship game on Monday, March 10 at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT).

— JMU Athletics —