WILMINGTON – Redshirt junior forward Jenny DeGraaf scored eight points, but it was not enough as seventh-seeded UNCW dropped a 52-27 decision against second-seeded James Madison in the quarterfinals of the Colonial Athletic Association Women’s Basketball Championship at the JMU Convocation Center on Thursday evening.
James Madison, the three-time defending CAA champion, improves to 23-7 on the season and advances to the semifinals on Friday where the Dukes will face the winner of the Drexel-Northeastern game at 7 p.m. Meanwhile, the Seahawks’ season comes to an end with an 11-20 record.
Redshirt senior guard Precious Hall, the CAA’s Player-of-the-Year, and redshirt junior forward Amber Porter each tallied 10 points to lead the Dukes while freshman guard Lexie Barrier added eight points.
DeGraaf paced UNCW offensively after knocking down three of eight field goal attempts in addition to both of her free throw attempts. Redshirt senior guard Jasmine Steele added six points while junior center Rebekah Banks grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.
Key Moment: James Madison jumped out to a 27-16 lead in the first half while limiting the Seahawks to just 6-for-22 shooting from the field. The Dukes outscored UNCW by a 15-9 margin in the second quarter and held the Seahawks to just one field goal in the final 6:36 of the period.
Game Notes: James Madison, which earned its 15th straight win over the Seahawks, now leads the all-time series by a 61-9 margin. The Dukes advance to the CAA semifinals for the 13th straight year. JMU held the Seahawks to a tournament record-low 27 points, eclipsing the previous mark of 30 points, which UNCW set against Towson on Mar. 11, 2010, in a 50-30 victory.
The Seahawks were held to just 11 points in the second half, setting a tournament record for fewest points in a half. UNCW is now 18-33 all-time in the CAA Tournament, including a 4-6 record at the JMU Convocation Center. The Seahawks are also 8-20 all-time in the CAA quarterfinals. UNCW finished the game 0-for-10 from three-point range, ending a streak of 94 consecutive games with at least one made three-pointer. James Madison out-rebounded UNCW by a 42-36 margin.
Steele, Jordan Henry and Amber Reeves played in their final college game against JMU. For Reeves, it was her 123rd career appearance, which ranks fourth in school history. Reeves also started 84 games in her career, which is tied for 13th on the Seahawks’ all-time list.
-Content provided by Eric Rhew, UNCW Department of Athletics
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