#2 JMU Advances to Fourth Straight CAA Final

3/10/2017 9:47:03 PM

Vicki Friedman

Championship Central | Box Score | Highlights | Photo Gallery | Sights & Sounds | James Madison Postgame | Drexel Postgame

HARRISONBURG, Va. (March 10, 2017) – James Madison advanced to its fourth-straight CAA Women’s Basketball Championship title game in thrilling fashion, rallying to defeat Drexel, 76-68, behind 37 points from two-time conference player of the year Precious Hall. The 37 points were three shy of the CAA Championship single game record.

The host Dukes will meet top-seeded Elon (26-6) at 7 p.m. on Saturday for the title. The Dukes have won the last three CAA titles and nine overall. Elon, which joined the league in 2014, is making its first CAA final appearance.

“What we did in the second half is exactly who we are,” said JMU Coach Sean O’Regan. “That was the part I really enjoyed – playing with intensity. Making the tempo our tempo and watching one of the best players in the country go to work. It was an enjoyable second half for me, but I give a lot of credit to Drexel. Every time we play them is an absolute dogfight.”

When Hall opened the game with a pair of three-pointers, it looked like the evening would belong to the second seeds in purple. But the Dragons responded with fire, building a 12-point lead behind outside shooting and baseline drives.

“Not the start we wanted,” O’Regan said. “In the first half it was like we were there, we were playing defense, but we weren’t making them miss.”

Sarah Woods’ layup put Drexel on top 34-22 with 2:39 before the halftime break, when suddenly the Dukes awoke. JMU closed the half on a 6-0 run with Hall scoring four of those.

Sarah Curran’s three-pointer opened the second-half scoring, and the Dragons led 39-30, but the third quarter belonged to JMU. Almost like a switch flicked, the Dukes became the aggressor on defense, limiting Drexel to 11 points in the period.

Meanwhile, the Dukes sizzled on offense, retaking the lead at 46-45 after freshman Lexie Barrier buried a 3 for an 8-0 run. Woods swung it back Drexel’s way after a timeout, but Hall answered from the perimeter for 48-47.

JMU never trailed again. CAA Rookie of the Year Kamiah Smalls tipping in Hall’s miss for 55-49 capped a 17-4 run.

“They went on a run and we didn’t score the ball,” Curran said.

The Dragons didn’t disappear, looking to quiet the Convo when Curran’s three brought them within three at 57-54. But the Dukes scored the next six with Hall accounting for four of those including a pair from the free-throw line, where she finished 6-of-8.

Curran banked in another three-pointer for Drexel’s last gasp at 69-64 and when Hall misfired on her only two foul shots of the night, it looked like a Dragons rally was in the works. Instead, Tasia Butler nabbed the offensive board and sank a pair of free throws.

JMU finished 16-of-21 from the charity stripe and 8-of-18 from beyond the arc with five of those coming from Hall.

Drexel, ranked No. 1 in the league in three-point shooting, finished 9-of-23 from the outside led by Curran nailing 4-of-5 for a team-high 22 points. Freshman Bailey Greenberg scored 12 for Drexel and Woods finished with 11.

With the return of the tournament to campus sites this season, Hall will get the chance to play out her CAA career on her home floor. After missing last season with a knee injury, she appreciates what that means.

“Last year I just sat back and took my time to get my knee back ready,” she said. It’s even better playing on my home court in front of my fans. I think my motivation is not to let anybody celebrate on my home court. I’m going to come out even better and stronger tomorrow.”

Added O’Regan: “This is once in a lifetime. We might never get to host again. This is once in a lifetime to get an opportunity to play in a championship game on your home floor. It’s 40 minutes on your home floor for a CAA championship.”

Drexel Coach Denise Dillon said she is counting on her team earning a WNIT bid. The WNIT bracket will be unveiled after the NCAA tournament bracket is revealed on Monday night.

“I’m counting on two teams getting into the NCAA tournament in the CAA and us representing the CAA in the WNIT,” Dillon said. Her Dragons squad won the WNIT in 2013.