RADFORD, Va. – Yet another in-state rivalry game is on tap as the Radford men's basketball team takes on the JMU Dukes at the Atlantic Union Bank Center on Saturday evening.
SETTING THE STAGE
Opponent: James Madison Dukes (8-2, 0-0 CAA)
Date/Time: Saturday, December 11
th at 7:00 p.m.
Location: Atlantic Union Bank Center (Harrisonburg, Va.)
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SERIES HISTORY
The Highlanders have earned four wins in 18 tries against JMU, dating back to the 1984-85 season when the two sides first met in Harrisonburg. Despite the lopsided record, games between the Highlanders and Dukes are nearly always close as 11 of those 18 meetings have been decided by single digits.
Playing on the road has posed a major problem for Radford in this particular series. The Highlanders have played nine games at JMU and have yet to take a victory.
Most recently, Radford and JMU faced off on Nov. 29, 2020 and the Dukes took home a 67-59 win.
Lewis Djonkam recorded a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double to help the Highlanders take a 42-31 advantage on the boards. Free throws were handed out like candy as a combined 51 attempts were taken from the charity stripe in the contest.
SCOUTING THE DUKES
Take a peek at the Colonial Athletic Association standings and you'll find JMU sitting atop the conference. With standout wins over Old Dominion, Eastern Kentucky, George Mason, Wright State and Virginia, second-year head coach Mark Byington has the Dukes rolling this season.
The stats tell you that James Madison's success isn't due to just one thing; they're finding a variety of ways to win. As a team, the Dukes rank second in the nation with 106 total steals and 17
th with 18.3 forced turnovers per game. They're also getting it done on the offensive end, ranking 73
rd in field goal percentage (47.0%), 38
thin total rebounds (367), 38
th in total assists (148), and 79
th in total 3-point field goals made (75).
Similar to the Highlanders, there is no single player that carries the entire load for JMU. Vado Morse (11.0 ppg), Takal Molson (10.9 ppg) and Charles Falden (10.1 ppg) are each averaging double figures in scoring while another seven players are putting up 5.0 or more points per game as well. Alonzo Sule leads the team with 6.3 rebounds per game and Morse owns the top spot in assists with 2.4 per contest. The Dukes have outscored opponents by an average of 13.8 points per game, a number certainly skewed by a 135-40 season-opening win over Carlow University.
SHIELD PSA
VIRGINIA VIBES
The Radford men's basketball program has a long history of going head-to-head with other institutions in the state of Virginia and William & Mary is just the latest.
Radford has played against 30 different Virginia-based schools and put together an overall record of 199-174 in those games. Former Big South Conference member, Liberty, is the most common opponent with 75 games played.
FOLLOW RADFORD MEN'S BASKETBALL
To follow the Radford men's basketball team throughout the season, visit RadfordAthletics.com, follow @RadfordHoops on Twitter, 'radfordhoops' Instagram or Radford Men's Basketball on Facebook.
