JMU women’s basketball is a No. 14 seed and will play No. 3 Ohio State on Saturday, March 18 in Columbus, Ohio, in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.
It’s JMU’s first March Madness berth since 2016 and first bid under head coach Sean O’Regan.
The Dukes finished 26-7 (13-5 Sun Belt) and won the postseason conference tournament championship after defeating Texas State, 81-51, on March 6. JMU senior guard Kiki Jefferson was named the Sun Belt Player of the Year, and junior guard Peyton McDaniel was named the conference’s Sixth Woman of the Year.
Ohio State finished 25-7 (12-6 Big 10) and defeated No. 1-seeded Indiana in the semifinals of the Big 10 tournament before losing to No. 2 Iowa, 105-72, in the finals. Buckeyes’ freshman guard Cotie McMahon was named Big 10 Freshman of the Year with 14.7 points per game and 5.3 rebounds. Senior guard Taylor Mikesell, a transfer from Oregon, leads the Buckeyes with 17.3 points per game.
