WASHINGTON –Despite a strong start in the first half, the Georgetown University women's basketball team fell 66-59 to the James Madison University Dukes on Thursday night in McDonough Arena. With the loss, the Hoyas fall to 1-4 on the season while the Dukes advance to 4-1 overall.  
 
What Coach Howard Had to Say
"We came out great in the first half and James Madison is a very good team, so I think they made a good adjustment at halftime to stop our run. Offensively, we didn't get the same movement or finishes as we did in the first half. We couldn't keep up with their players on the defensive side, which is where we fell. I think Shanniah Wright was a huge help in the paint tonight, so going forward, we need to learn how to use all three of our post players to our advantage."
 
How it Happened

• James Madison opened up with a three, but Taylor Barnes answered back immediately with a 3-pointer of her own.
• The Hoyas forced three turnovers on the Dukes while Nikola Kovacikova scored back-to-back baskets to put GU ahead 18-14 at the end of the first quarter.
• Tayanna Jones kept the rhythm going into the second quarter with five points in the first minute off of a bucket and a three.
• Jones pushed the Blue & Gray's lead to 13 with another three, forcing the Dukes to call a timeout.
• Anita Kelava dominated on the glass with two-straight offensive rebounds and baskets to pace the Hoyas as they led 41-31 entering the half.
• Both teams went cold in the third, but a three from Brianna Jones four minutes in got the Hoyas going. A comeback by the Dukes put them ahead 48-47 going into the final stanza.
• Free throws allowed Georgetown to come back in the fourth quarter as the team scored all of its points in the first few minutes from the charity stripe and tied it up at 52.
• James Madison managed a six-point scoring run but Tayana Jones downed a 3-pointer to stop the run.
• Despite a late effort in the final minutes from the Hoyas, the Dukes came out on top 66-59.

 
Of Note

• Brianna Jones and Tayanna Jones led the Blue & Gray with 13 points apiece, while Shanniah Wright finished with 10 points and managed to pull down five rebounds.
• Kelava had a team high of seven rebounds and three blocks while also adding four points. Graceann Bennett pulled down five boards along with Wright. Breonna Mayfield hauled in six and added four points to the scoring column.
• Both teams managed 36 rebounds and the Hoya defense forced 16 JMU turnovers while committing 16.
• The Hoyas shot 31.6 percent (18 for 57) from the field but allowed the Dukes 46.4 percent (26 for 56).

 
 
Up Next
The Blue & Gray will make the short trip to George Washington University on Sunday for a 2 p.m. matchup at the Charles E. Smith Center. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+. Links to live stats and to watch the game will be available at www.GUHoyas.com.