THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 26, 1997 TAG: 9701260211
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HARRISONBURG LENGTH: 62 lines
We've grown accustomed to blowouts on Super Bowl weekend. James Madison got a one-day jump on the tradition Saturday.
The Dukes played with superior intensity and humiliated Old Dominion 84-66 before a raucous crowd of 6,800 at the JMU Convocation Center. It really wasn't as close as the final score would indicate.
James Madison was up by 34 points with just over seven minutes remaining before ODU sliced it to the final 18-point margin after the Dukes had the game well in hand.
It was ODU's most lopsided loss in its last 74 Colonial Athletic Association regular-season games, dating to the 1991-92 season. ODU (14-6, 5-3) has lost three of its last four.
The Dukes jumped to a 24-9 lead in the game's opening 6 1/2 minutes. Chatney Howard scored 16 of his game-high 24 points in that stretch.
``They came out steaming hot, ready to play and we kind of backed off,'' ODU's Skipper Youngblood said.
The Dukes' lead fluctuated between 16 and 34 points in the game's final 29 minutes. The Monarchs had cut it to 16 by halftime, but James Madison (11-5, 5-2) began the second half with an 18-0 run, making 9 of 13 from the field while ODU missed its first eight shots and committed five turnovers.
The Dukes had a 68-34 lead before E.J. Sherod's 3-pointer with 12:22 remaining ended the Monarchs' drought.
``We came out and stuck it right to them,'' Howard said. ``I think they laid back kind of. We took their heart right out of them with our defense the first five minutes of the second half.''
ODU's lack of heart precipitated the benching of all five starters much of the second half.
``They accepted defeat after about the 16-minute mark of the second half,'' Monarchs coach Jeff Capel said. ``I think they felt and were starting to look and play like there was no way we were going to come back. That incensed me, because the game is never over until the horn. At that point we just felt we'd put some kids in who wanted to compete.''
Freshman Freddie Bryant (15 points) and sophomore Youngblood (13 rebounds) were the closest ODU came to having bright spots. ODU committed 22 turnovers and shot 39 percent from the field compared with 51 percent for the Dukes, who were shooting at a higher clip before the reserves dragged that percentage down at the end.
``From start to finish, ugly ballgame,'' said ODU forward Odell Hodge, whose 10 points was well below his 18.4 average. ``We couldn't get on track.''
It was JMU's largest victory margin ever over ODU and the biggest for either team in the 45-game series since the Monarchs won by 20 in 1980.
``You don't usually blow out Old Dominion like we did tonight,'' JMU coach Lefty Driesell said. ``It was one of those things. I think we jumped on them and they got in a hole and couldn't get out.''
The Monarchs closed the first half of CAA play with back-to-back humbling losses, including Wednesday's upset at home by William and Mary. ODU has fallen out of first place in the standings and begins the conference's second half Wednesday at East Carolina.
``Coach put it best. He said everyone needs to go home and look in the mirror and decide for themselves if they want to fight it or lay down,'' Youngblood said.
``We've got great talent, but we have to decide for ourselves if we're going to stand up to adversity or let it overcome us.''