St. John’s Falls to JMU, 64-51

Friday, December 21

Harrisonburg Va. (JMU Convocation Center)

2:00 P.M.

St. John's University

7-4

James Madison

7-3

St. John's

James Madison

12/21/2018 5:20:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Brelove and Wellere pace the Red Storm with 13 points apiece

By: Victoria Lanza

In its final non-conference contest of the season, the St. John's women's basketball team fell to James Madison, 64-51, inside the JMU Convocation Center on Friday afternoon.

Despite the loss, the Johnnies won their ninth turnover battle of the season, 10-9, converting 10 of those JMU miscues into 14 points.

Akina Wellere and Curteeona Brelove paced the team offensively, tallying 13 points apiece. Brelove also brought down a team-high eight boards for the Red Storm. The Malone, Fla., native shot 50 percent from the floor, netting six of her 12 attempts.

Wellere made 5-of-11 shots from the floor, draining two of her four tries from long distance. With 13 points, the Chicago native is now just 18 shy of eclipsing the 1,000-point mark.

JMU got the scoring started early, breaking out on 6-0 run and holding the Johnnies scoreless for the first four minutes of action.

Wellere broke the Johnnies scoring drought with six minutes remaining in the first frame, draining a shot from beyond the arc. However the Dukes managed to outscore the Johnnies, 11-4, down the stretch to lead, 17-7, after the first 10 minutes of action.

The Johnnies changed up the offensive momentum in the early going of the second quarter, rattling off a 6-0 run to inch back within four, 17-13. The Dukes then made a run of their own, 10-0, to extend their lead to 14, 27-13, at the midway mark of the second quarter.

The Johnnies were not entering the intermission without a battle, as the Red Storm turned up the heat, making a 9-2 tear over the final few minutes to cut the Dukes lead to single digits, 34-25, at the break.

After the first 20 minutes of action Brelove paced the Red Storm with nine points on a 4-of-6 shooting effort from the floor.

Coming out of the break, the Dukes used a jumper and six made shots from the charity stripe to string together an 8-0 run and extend their lead to 42-25.

With just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter, and JMU leading, 54-32, the Johnnies rattled off a 6-0 run to shrink the Dukes' lead and enter the final 10 minutes trailing by 16, 54-38.

After a slow offensive start for both teams over the opening few minutes of the fourth stanza, the Jonnies unleased a 6-0 run with 49 seconds to play. That was as close as the Red Storm would get as the clock ran out, securing the Dukes' victory.

The Johnnies will return to action on Sunday, Dec. 30, when the team travels to South Orange, N.J., to open up BIG EAST play with Seton Hall. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. inside Walsh Gymnasium.