HARRISONBURG, Virginia – Junior guard Kamiah Smalls scored 14 of her game-high 24 points in the second half as Colonial Athletic Association leader James Madison rallied to thwart an upset bid by UNCW en route to a 58-51 victory over the Seahawks at the JMU Convocation Center on Sunday afternoon.
 
The Dukes, who won their eighth consecutive game, ran their record to 20-4 overall and 12-1 in the CAA. The Seahawks, meanwhile, dropped their second straight contest to fall to 15-9 overall with an 8-5 mark against league foes.
 
Smalls was the lone James Madison to reach double figures after sinking 7-of-16 field goal attempts in addition to an 8-for-10 showing at the free throw line. The Philadelphia, Pa. native also grabbed eight rebounds while playing 35 minutes.
 
Junior forward Devon Merritt nearly contributed a double-double for the Dukes, scoring eight points with a game-high 10 rebounds.
 
UNCW was led by junior guard Lacey Suggs' 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field in addition to making 5-of-9 free throw attempts. Redshirt junior guard GiGi Smith added 12 points while senior center Chinyere Bell tallied 10 points with five rebounds.
 
Key Moment: In a game that featured nine ties and six lead changes, the Dukes broke a 49-all tie by going on a 9-2 surge over the game's final 1:35. Smalls accounted for seven of James Madison's points, hitting a layup with 1:35 left before going 5-for-6 at the foul line.   
 
Up Next: UNCW returns home on Friday, Feb. 22, to welcome Drexel inside Trask Coliseum for a 7 p.m. CAA contest. The Seahawks have won 12 straight at home while the Dragons boast the nation's longest road win streak at 12 consecutive games.

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