University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
JMU
Richmond Runs Past JMU, 75-55, On The Road
12/21/2016 | Men's Basketball
HARRISONBURG, Va. – Balanced scoring, unselfish offense and swarming defense led Richmond (6-5) to a 75-55 win over James Madison (1-10) on Tuesday night on the road.
The Spiders led for nearly the entire game and forced a season-best 21 turnovers to create 31 points off turnovers. The Spiders finished at 48.1 percent from the field and 40.9 percent from long range, marking a new season-best percentage.
“We forced them into some turnovers and I felt like we really took advantage tonight,” head coach Chris Mooney said. “T.J. Cline played a really good game all over the court and some of our younger guys shot the ball well in rhythm. I liked our energy tonight.”
T.J. Cline led five Spiders who scored in double figures as he tallied his second double-double of the season. Cline scored a game-high 21 points, and grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds.
Nick Sherod came off the bench to score a career-high 14 points with two threes, while De'Monte Buckingham and Julius Johnson each scored 12 points. Buckingham earned his first start of the season and made three steals, while Johnson hit three threes and converted a traditional three-point play.
ShawnDre' Jones scored 11 points and had six assists against no turnovers. UR assisted on 18 of 25 made shots.
JMU struggled to find a rhythm on offense as the Spider defense continually double-teamed and trapped the Dukes all over the floor. Joey McLean and Tom Vodanovich were the only Dukes to reach double figures.
JMU shot 39.2 percent from the field, and Richmond's excellent three-point defense held up once again as it limited JMU to just 3-of-20 from long range.
After JMU climbed to a 10-7 lead in the first half, Cline and Sherod hit three-pointers and then Cline hit a layup to give the Spiders a five-point lead they would not relinquish.
Richmond led by 13 at halftime and the Dukes cut the margin to 36-27 at the 17:25 mark, but Richmond responded with a three from Jones and the lead never dipped into single digits for the rest of the contest.
Richmond continues on the road on Friday with a game at Oral Roberts at 4 p.m. ET.
