Dukes Fall Flat in Season Opener
November 13, 2009 • By Mike Kaplan,
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COLUMBUS, Ohio — The JMU men’s basketball team opened its season at No. 16 Ohio State on Thursday. The underdog Dukes were overmatched in a 72-44 loss to the Buckeyes.
Ohio State’s swarming defense held Madison to 30.8 percent shooting from the field. For the first time since Jan. 2004, no JMU player finished the game in double figures.
The lopsided final score wasn’t indicative of the Dukes’ play in the first half. JMU frustrated OSU early with a full-court press that baited the Buckeyes into settling for long-range jump shots. The Buckeyes shot just one for seven from 3-point range in the first half.
Smart defense kept the Dukes in the game early. With seven minutes to go in the first half, the score was knotted at 16-16. JMU went into halftime trailing just 34-25.
“For the first 20 minutes, we did what we wanted to do,” JMU coach Matt Brady said.
In the second half, the Buckeyes began to knock down the perimeter jumpers that they missed in the first. Ohio State was led by first-team All-Big Ten point guard Evan Turner. The 6-foot-7-inch NBA prospect filled up the stat sheet with game-highs of 24 points and 17 rebounds.
OSU, with all five starters returning from its 2008-2009 squad, proved too physical for the inexperienced Dukes. The Buckeyes outscored shorthanded JMU 42-18 in the paint. JMU senior forward Dazzmond Thronton is recovering from a torn labrum and junior center Denzel Bowles, a Texas A&M transfer, is ineligible until Dec. 12 because of NCAA transfer regulations.
“Obviously, Ohio State is a much better basketball team than we are,” Brady said. “They’re going to go on and have a great season.”
The Dukes unraveled with their tendency to turn the ball over. The Buckeyes benefited from JMU’s sloppiness, scoring 15 points off 16 turnovers. OSU also capitalized in transition, outscoring the Dukes 12-0 on fast breaks.
Protecting the ball was a struggle all night without starting point guard Devon Moore. JMU’s team leader in assists (3.7) and minutes per game (32.6) last season suffered a season-ending knee injury Sunday in a closed scrimmage against Hampton University.
Senior guard Pierre Curtis led the Dukes in both scoring and rebounding at nine and eight, respectively.
The Dukes return to action on Nov. 20 against Murray State in a tournament at Florida International University.
Read more about the game and the impact of Moore’s injury in Sports.
contact Mike Kaplan at MK218377@Albany.edu
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