HARRISONBURG, VA: (Rocktown Now)— James Madison women’s basketball opened its season in emphatic fashion Monday night, rolling past Kent State 80-48 in the first leg of the MAC-SBC Challenge at the Atlantic Union Bank Center.
Senior guard Peyton McDaniel powered the Dukes with a game-high 29 points, shooting 10-of-16 from the field while adding eight rebounds and two steals. Her performance anchored a relentless JMU defense that forced 25 turnovers and converted them into 35 points, holding the Golden Flashes to just 15-of-59 (.254) shooting and a frigid 1-of-16 (.063) from beyond the arc.
The Dukes (1-0) never trailed, building their lead behind 16 steals — the program’s most in a game since 2017. Kent State (0-1), a preseason favorite in the Mid-American Conference, struggled to find rhythm against JMU’s pressure.
Zakiya Stephenson matched her career high with 13 points, hitting 3-of-5 from three-point range and dishing out a game-best five assists. Bree Robinson added 10 points and four steals, while Brianna McLeod came off the bench to grab a career-high 11 rebounds and four steals in 28 minutes.
Reserve forward Angela Williams provided a late spark, scoring all 10 of her points in the fourth quarter and contributing six rebounds and three blocks — also a career high.
For Kent State, Riley Rismiller posted a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds, while Corynne Hauser chipped in 10 points. Mya Babbitt finished with seven points and seven boards but was limited to 1-of-15 shooting, including 1-of-9 from deep.
James Madison will look to carry its momentum into the next matchup of the MAC-SBC Challenge later this week.