James Madison claims Sun Belt title to earn its first NCAA Tournament bid since 2013
PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) Xavier Brown scored a career-high 21 points to go with 10 rebounds and No. 2 seed James Madison eased by No. 4 seed Arkansas State 91-71 on Monday night to claim the Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship and earn its first NCAA Tournament bid since 2013.
James Madison (31-3), which outlasted Texas State in the semifinals to notch its first 30-win season in program history, extended its winning streak to 13 games. The Dukes began the season on a 14-game winning streak, starting with an overtime victory over then-No. 4 Michigan State.
Arkansas State (18-16), in its first Sun Belt championship game appearance since 2007, was seeking its first NCAA Tournament berth since 1999.
Brown, averaging 6.1 points per game, scored 19 points in the opening 14 minutes, including 13 straight James Madison points, to help build a 30-23 lead. He made his first seven shots before missing a 3-pointer with 5:22 left. Brown finished the half with 21, topping his previous best scoring total of 17 against Hampton on Dec. 16.
Noah Freidel made two 3-pointers in the opening three minutes of the second half, including a four-point play, and Terrence Edwards added another 3, following an offensive rebound, to make it 54-39 with 16:09 left.
Edwards, the Sun Belt player of the year, finished with 19 points for JMU. Jaylen Carey scored 13 and Freidel had 12. The Dukes finished 11 of 19 from distance.
Freddy Hicks, who made a game-winner in the semifinals against top-seeded Appalachian State, scored 24 points for Arkansas State. Izaiyah Nelson had 12 points and 12 rebounds. Caleb Fields and Taryn Todd each had 10 points and five assists.
--- Get poll alerts and updates on AP Top 25 basketball throughout the season. Sign up here --- AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Copyright 2024 STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | Â | (Red Wolves gains possession) | Â | |
19:28 | Â | Red Wolves turnover (shot clock violation) | Â | |
19:20 | Â | Freddy Hicks personal foul | Â | |
19:09 | Â | Izaiyah Nelson blocks Terrence Edwards Jr.'s two point jump shot | Â | |
19:07 | Â | Terrence Edwards Jr. offensive rebound | Â | |
19:03 | Â | Izaiyah Nelson blocks Terrence Edwards Jr.'s two point jump shot | Â | |
19:01 | Â | Izaiyah Nelson defensive rebound | Â | |
18:44 | +3 | Derrian Ford makes three point jump shot (Freddy Hicks assists) | 3-0 | |
18:14 | +3 | Julien Wooden makes three point jump shot (Xavier Brown assists) | 3-3 | |
17:51 | Â | Taryn Todd misses two point jump shot | Â | |
17:49 | Â | Izaiyah Nelson offensive rebound | Â | |
17:45 | Â | Caleb Fields misses three point jump shot | Â | |
17:43 | Â | Xavier Brown defensive rebound | Â | |
17:38 | +3 | Xavier Brown makes three point jump shot | 3-6 | |
17:10 | Â | Derrian Ford misses two point jump shot | Â | |
17:08 | Â | Xavier Brown defensive rebound | Â | |
17:05 | Â | Noah Freidel misses three point jump shot | Â | |
17:03 | Â | Taryn Todd defensive rebound | Â | |
16:56 | Â | Julien Wooden blocks Taryn Todd's two point jump shot | Â | |
16:54 | Â | Izaiyah Nelson offensive rebound | Â | |
16:53 | Â | Izaiyah Nelson misses two point layup | Â | |
16:52 | Â | Izaiyah Nelson offensive rebound | Â | |
16:52 | Â | T.J. Bickerstaff shooting foul (Izaiyah Nelson draws the foul) | Â | |
16:52 | +1 | Izaiyah Nelson makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 4-6 | |
16:52 | +1 | Izaiyah Nelson makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 5-6 | |
16:40 | Â | Izaiyah Nelson shooting foul (T.J. Bickerstaff draws the foul) | Â | |
16:40 | +1 | T.J. Bickerstaff makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 5-7 | |
16:40 | Â | T.J. Bickerstaff misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | Â | |
16:40 | Â | Freddy Hicks defensive rebound | Â | |
16:29 | Â | Taryn Todd offensive foul | Â | |
16:29 | Â | Taryn Todd turnover (offensive foul) | Â | |
16:19 | +3 | Xavier Brown makes three point jump shot | 5-10 | |
15:57 | Â | Izaiyah Nelson misses two point layup | Â | |
15:55 | Â | Xavier Brown defensive rebound | Â | |
15:49 | Â | Julien Wooden misses three point jump shot | Â | |
15:47 | Â | Freddy Hicks defensive rebound | Â | |
15:36 | Â | TV timeout | Â | |
15:25 | +3 | Derrian Ford makes three point jump shot (Caleb Fields assists) | 8-10 | |
14:57 | Â | Noah Freidel misses three point jump shot | Â | |
14:55 | Â | Caleb Fields defensive rebound | Â | |
14:36 | +2 | Derrian Ford makes two point layup | 10-10 | |
14:20 | Â | Terrence Edwards Jr. misses two point jump shot | Â | |
14:18 | Â | Terrence Edwards Jr. offensive rebound | Â | |
14:16 | Â | Terrence Edwards Jr. misses two point layup | Â | |
14:14 | Â | Terrence Edwards Jr. offensive rebound | Â | |
14:12 | +2 | Terrence Edwards Jr. makes two point layup | 10-12 | |
13:49 | Â | Raekwon Horton shooting foul (Caleb Fields draws the foul) | Â | |
13:49 | +1 | Caleb Fields makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 11-12 | |
13:49 | +1 | Caleb Fields makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 12-12 | |
13:26 | Â | Izaiyah Nelson blocks Noah Freidel's two point layup | Â | |
13:24 | Â | Taryn Todd defensive rebound | Â | |
13:17 | +2 | Taryn Todd makes two point layup | 14-12 | |
13:01 | +2 | Jaylen Carey makes two point jump shot | 14-14 | |
12:46 | Â | Freddy Hicks misses two point layup | Â | |
12:44 | Â | Freddy Hicks offensive rebound | Â | |
12:44 | Â | Raekwon Horton shooting foul (Freddy Hicks draws the foul) | Â | |
12:44 | +1 | Freddy Hicks makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 15-14 | |
12:44 | +1 | Freddy Hicks makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 16-14 | |
12:33 | +2 | Jaylen Carey makes two point jump shot (Michael Green III assists) | 16-16 | |
12:14 | Â | Caleb Fields misses three point jump shot | Â | |
12:12 | Â | Freddy Hicks offensive rebound | Â | |
12:09 | Â | Freddy Hicks turnover (traveling) | Â | |
11:55 | Â | Lado Laku shooting foul (Jaylen Carey draws the foul) | Â | |
11:55 | Â | TV timeout | Â | |
16:52 | +1 | Terrence Edwards Jr. makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 16-17 | |
11:55 | Â | Jaylen Carey misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | Â | |
11:55 | +1 | Jaylen Carey makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 16-17 | |
11:28 | +2 | Izaiyah Nelson makes two point dunk (Caleb Fields assists) | 18-17 | |
11:02 | Â | Bryant Randleman misses two point jump shot | Â | |
11:00 | Â | Caleb Fields defensive rebound | Â | |
10:48 | Â | Derrian Ford misses two point jump shot | Â | |
10:46 | Â | Jaylen Carey defensive rebound | Â | |
10:39 | Â | Jaylen Carey misses three point jump shot | Â | |
10:37 | Â | Izaiyah Nelson defensive rebound | Â | |
10:20 | Â | Julien Wooden blocks Caleb Fields's two point layup | Â | |
10:19 | Â | Red Wolves offensive rebound | Â | |
10:07 | Â | Izaiyah Nelson misses two point layup | Â | |
10:05 | Â | Derrian Ford offensive rebound | Â | |
10:03 | Â | Bryant Randleman blocks Derrian Ford's two point layup | Â | |
10:01 | Â | Julien Wooden defensive rebound | Â | |
9:53 | +2 | Xavier Brown makes two point layup | 18-19 | |
9:38 | Â | Avery Felts turnover (bad pass) | Â | |
9:21 | Â | Taryn Todd shooting foul (Bryant Randleman draws the foul) | Â | |
9:21 | Â | Bryant Randleman misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | Â | |
9:21 | Â | Bryant Randleman misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | Â | |
9:21 | Â | Avery Felts defensive rebound | Â | |
8:53 | Â | Avery Felts misses three point jump shot | Â | |
8:51 | Â | T.J. Bickerstaff defensive rebound | Â | |
8:44 | +3 | Xavier Brown makes three point jump shot | 18-22 | |
8:24 | +2 | Freddy Hicks makes two point jump shot | 20-22 | |
8:12 | +3 | Xavier Brown makes three point jump shot | 20-25 | |
7:57 | Â | Avery Felts misses two point layup | Â | |
7:55 | Â | T.J. Bickerstaff defensive rebound | Â | |
7:43 | +2 | Xavier Brown makes two point jump shot | 20-27 | |
7:14 | +3 | Avery Felts makes three point jump shot (Freddy Hicks assists) | 23-27 | |
6:51 | Â | Terrence Edwards Jr. turnover (bad pass) | Â | |
6:51 | Â | TV timeout | Â | |
6:33 | Â | Caleb Fields misses two point layup | Â | |
6:31 | Â | Freddy Hicks offensive rebound | Â | |
6:28 | Â | Julien Wooden blocks Freddy Hicks's two point layup | Â | |
6:27 | Â | Red Wolves offensive rebound | Â | |
6:24 | Â | Izaiyah Nelson turnover (out of bounds) | Â | |
6:13 | +3 | Xavier Brown makes three point jump shot (Noah Freidel assists) | 23-30 | |
5:47 | Â | Freddy Hicks misses three point jump shot | Â | |
5:45 | Â | Izaiyah Nelson offensive rebound | Â | |
5:42 | Â | Noah Freidel shooting foul (Izaiyah Nelson draws the foul) | Â | |
5:42 | +1 | Izaiyah Nelson makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 24-30 | |
5:42 | Â | Izaiyah Nelson misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | Â | |
5:42 | Â | Jaylen Carey defensive rebound | Â | |
5:30 | Â | Xavier Brown misses three point jump shot | Â | |
5:28 | Â | Freddy Hicks defensive rebound | Â | |
5:18 | Â | Caleb Fields misses two point layup | Â | |
5:16 | Â | Xavier Brown defensive rebound | Â | |
5:05 | +2 | Jaylen Carey makes two point layup | 24-32 | |
4:35 | Â | Freddy Hicks misses three point jump shot | Â | |
4:33 | Â | Dyondre Dominguez offensive rebound | Â | |
4:32 | Â | Dyondre Dominguez misses two point layup | Â | |
4:30 | Â | Freddy Hicks offensive rebound | Â | |
4:30 | Â | Terrence Edwards Jr. shooting foul (Freddy Hicks draws the foul) | Â | |
4:30 | +1 | Freddy Hicks makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 25-32 | |
4:30 | Â | Freddy Hicks misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | Â | |
4:30 | Â | Izaiyah Nelson offensive rebound | Â | |
4:26 | Â | Dyondre Dominguez misses three point jump shot | Â | |
4:24 | Â | Xavier Brown defensive rebound | Â | |
4:10 | +2 | Terrence Edwards Jr. makes two point jump shot | 25-34 | |
3:48 | Â | Caleb Fields misses two point layup | Â | |
3:46 | Â | Izaiyah Nelson offensive rebound | Â | |
3:45 | +2 | Izaiyah Nelson makes two point layup | 27-34 | |
3:28 | Â | Izaiyah Nelson shooting foul (Terrence Edwards Jr. draws the foul) | Â | |
3:28 | Â | TV timeout | Â | |
3:28 | +1 | Terrence Edwards Jr. makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 27-35 | |
3:28 | +1 | Terrence Edwards Jr. makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 27-36 | |
2:59 | +2 | Taryn Todd makes two point layup | 29-36 | |
2:37 | +2 | Jaylen Carey makes two point layup | 29-38 | |
2:15 | Â | Noah Freidel blocks Caleb Fields's two point layup | Â | |
2:13 | Â | Noah Freidel defensive rebound | Â | |
2:04 | +2 | Xavier Brown makes two point jump shot | 29-40 | |
1:46 | +2 | Freddy Hicks makes two point jump shot (Taryn Todd assists) | 31-40 | |
1:28 | Â | Xavier Brown misses two point jump shot | Â | |
1:26 | Â | Caleb Fields defensive rebound | Â | |
1:24 | Â | Terrence Edwards Jr. personal foul | Â | |
1:03 | Â | Taryn Todd misses three point jump shot | Â | |
1:01 | Â | Xavier Brown defensive rebound | Â | |
0:41 | +2 | Jaylen Carey makes two point layup | 31-42 | |
0:15 | Â | Raekwon Horton shooting foul (Caleb Fields draws the foul) | Â | |
0:15 | Â | Caleb Fields misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | Â | |
0:15 | +1 | Caleb Fields makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 32-42 | |
0:02 | Â | Terrence Edwards Jr. misses three point jump shot | Â | |
0:01 | Â | Dukes offensive rebound | Â | |
0:00 | Â | End of period | Â |