JMU men’s basketball ventured to Kaplan Arena as it took on William & Mary. Despite being down by as many as 23 points in the first half, the Dukes came from behind to win 95-91.
The Tribe took control in the opening 10 minutes, going on a 23-1 run and taking an early 20-point lead. William & Mary sophomore guard Connor Kochera scored 10 points during that run — he finished with 14. William & Mary sophomore guard Yuri Covington contributed off the bench with 15 first-half points — he capped off the night with a career-high 29, including five 3-pointers.
The Dukes cut the deficit to 10 with a 14-5 run to end the half, beginning with a 3-pointer from graduate guard Charles Falden. Falden led JMU with five 3-pointers.
The Tribe led 45-35 at halftime.
In the second half, both teams continued to find the basket, and William & Mary kept distance between itself and the Dukes. Senior guard Brandon Carroll didn't score in the first 20 minutes but led the Tribe in the second half with a season-high 10 points.
The Dukes found their way back into the game in the final 10 minutes with a 19-5 run. Sophomore forward Justin Amadi tied the game with three minutes left — he posted a career-high 23 points and a double-double. The Tribe re-took the lead with a pair of free throws from freshman forward Langdon Hatton — who also earned a double-double — but a layup from Amadi with one second left sent the game to overtime tied at 80.
In overtime, the Dukes had a 89-86 lead thanks to seven points from redshirt junior guard Vado Morse, including a 3-pointer, to give JMU the lead with less than two minutes remaining. William & Mary didn't retake the lead as an Amadi dunk and free throw in the final seconds secured the JMU victory.
William and Mary falls to 3-13 (2-1 CAA) and hosts Towson on Jan. 17 with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m. JMU advances to 11-3 (2-1 CAA) and travels to Elon on Jan. 17 with a 4 p.m. tip.
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