Anderson’s Clutch Three, Painter’s Career Night Lift Blue Hens Over JMU, 80-76

Thursday, January 9

Harrisonburg, VA

7:00 PM

University of Delaware

12-5,2-2CAA

James Madison

8-8,1-4CAA

Delaware

James Madison

Anderson’s Clutch Three, Painter’s Career Night Lift Blue Hens Over JMU, 80-76

1/9/2020 9:36:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va. – Kevin Anderson hit a clutch go-ahead three-pointer with 38 seconds left and Dylan Painter posted his first career double-double as Delaware edged James Madison, 80-76, in a thriller Thursday night at the JMU Convocation Center.

The second half was a back and forth affair that saw the Dukes take a 73-72 lead following two Dwight Wilson free throws with 1:24 to play. But after both teams came up empty on their next possession, Anderson took a feed from Nate Darling and buried a triple from the left corner to put Delaware in front for good.

JMU's Matt Lewis then missed a driving layup on the other end, before Darling, Anderson and Ryan Allen combined to hit five of six free throws down the stretch to seal UD's important road win.

Painter finished with career-highs of 23 points and 10 rebounds, going 8 of 11 from the field and 7 of 8 from the foul line. Anderson contributed 16 points, Darling finished with 15, and Justyn Mutts was the fourth Blue Hen in double figures with 10 on the night.

Delaware shot 45.8 percent from the floor, finished 20 of 25 from the free throw line, and held a 38-28 advantage in points in the paint.

After the Blue Hens scored the first four points of the night, JMU answered with a 10-point run and led the rest of the half. The Dukes went ahead by as many as 10 in the opening stanza and were still up nine late in the period, but Anderson knocked down a pair of three-pointers in the final 1:09 to bring Delaware within 42-39 at the break.

The Blue Hens then erupted out of the second half gate, scoring the first eight points of the period and taking a 54-45 lead with 16 minutes to play on a tip-in by Painter.

Delaware eventually increased the margin to 10 and was still up nine at 61-52 with 13:44 remaining but then went scoreless for the next 5:40, as JMU scored the next nine points to pull even at the 9:12 mark. The Blue Hens responded with a six-point spurt but the Dukes then answered with eight of their own, taking a 69-67 lead on a Julien Wooden triple with 5:07 to play.

But Painter answered with a three-point play, while two Allen free throws with 1:51 on the clock put Delaware back in front, 72-71. Wilson countered with two free throws for JMU, before Anderson's game-winning triple accounted for the final lead change of the night.

Martin Ingelsby
"Kevin Anderson has really shot the ball well for us at times, and Nate Darling make a fabulous pass for his last three. Kevin had a really great offensive outing. We had balance offensively, it was nice to see some shots go in, we were really efficient at the foul line. This was a coming out party for Dylan Painter in our league, and as good as he was on offense, I thought he was fabulous on the defensive end. He's a guy we've got to continue to get more minutes for. He's a dominant physical presence who imposes his will, and he takes a lot of pressure of our guards. This is a big confidence boost for our group to get it done tonight."

Kevin Anderson
"It was just a wide open shot, and I knocked it down. Last year I was more of an attacking guard looking to find my teammates, but I've been working a lot on my jump shots since the summer. As a leader I want the ball in late game situations."