PENSACOLA, Fla. (JMU Athletics) – No. 9 seed James Madison got 21 points from Cliff Davis and 20 from Justin McBride to dispatch 12th-seeded Louisiana, 87-72, on Wednesday night to advance to the Third Round of the 2026 Visit Pensacola Sun Belt Men’s Basketball Championship.
JMU (18-14) will play No. 8 seed Southern Miss on Thursday, March 5, at 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT) in the Third Round of the Sun Belt Championship on ESPN+.
Davis’ 21 points marked the guard’s fifth straight 20-point game, while McBride logged 20 for the 11th time this year while also grabbing a team-leading eight rebounds. Bradley Douglas grabbed 18 points, while Eli Wilborn scored a season high eight points while also hauling in five rebounds.
JMU controlled the glass, outrebounding Louisiana 41-23 in the contest. The Dukes also recorded 56 points in the paint and finished 20-of-26 (.770) from the free throw line.
Jaxon Olvera (28) and Dorian Finister (27) scored 56 of Louisiana’s 72 points, but no other Cajun finished in double figures. Louisiana finished with just four assists.
How it Happened
First Half – James Madison 37, Louisiana 27
• After JMU jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, Louisiana began exchanging field goals until a Douglas layup gave the Dukes a 14-12 lead at the media timeout.
• The Dukes went on a 14-0 run over the next six minutes, including 10 points in the paint, to give JMU a 24-12 lead with 6:31 to go.
• The Ragin Cajuns managed to cut their deficit to nine; however, two buckets from Davis allowed JMU to head into the half with a 10-point lead.
Second Half – James Madison 87, Louisiana 72
• Louisiana opened the half with two quick baskets, but the Dukes kept them at a distance with a Douglas three-pointer, growing the lead back to 47-37 at the 16:13 mark.
• JMU led by as many as 11 until a pair of threes from the Ragin Cajuns with just over 11 minutes to go cut the JMU lead to five (53-48).
• UL cut the deficit to as little as four; however, JMU never took its foot off the gas to secure the victory and advance to the third round of the SBC Championship.
Game Notes
• JMU owns a 5-2 record in the Sun Belt Championship since joining the league in 2022-23.
• Davis finished with 21 points, his fifth straight 20-point game.
• McBride has scored 20 or more in 11 games this season.
• The Dukes are 17-3 when scoring 80 or more under Head Coach Preston Spradlin.
• Davis finished with one three-pointer, bringing his season total to 98. He is now three away from tying Kent Culuko for the second-most threes in a single season in JMU history.
— JMU Athletics —
