DATE: Sunday, March 2, 1997                 TAG: 9703020251

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER

DATELINE: RICHMOND                          LENGTH:   30 lines

JMU EDGES ECU IN DOUBLE OT IN CAA TOURNEY

James Madison beat East Carolina 69-67 in double overtime Saturday in a Colonial Athletic Association quarterfinal game.

Eugene Atkinson's tip-in with 1.7 seconds left in the second overtime gave James Madison (15-12) the victory, advancing the Dukes into the semifinals today against UNC Wilmington at 6 p.m. at the Richmond Coliseum.

The Dukes led 54-49 on a Eugene Atkinson basket with 3:04 remaining in regulation, but it would be their last points of regulation as JMU missed four shots and a free throw the rest of the way.

In the first overtime the teams traded baskets and free throws, with neither leading by more than a point the entire five minutes. Atkinson hit a foul shot to tie the game at 60 with 4.6 seconds remaining.

The Dukes jumped on top 65-60 in the second overtime with an Atkinson 3-pointer and, following an ECU miss, a pair of Charles Lott free throws. ECU (17-9) came back but was unable in two tries to retake the lead. Raphael Edwards' layup rolled off the rim, and then Dink Peters couldn't handle a pass from Alico Dunk with 52.4 seconds left.

But following two JMU free throws, Othello Meadows' 3-pointer with 14.1 remaining in the second overtime tied it again at 67. That set up the final sequence, when the Dukes' Ryan Culicerto missed on a drive to the hoop, Mate Milisa missed a tip but Atkinson put it in. Atkinson led all scorers with 25 points.

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