James Madison University advanced to the third round of the 2026 Visit Pensacola Sun Belt Men’s Basketball Championship after defeating Louisiana 87-72 on Wednesday night. The game took place in Pensacola, Florida.
Cliff Davis led JMU with 21 points, marking his fifth consecutive game scoring at least 20 points. Justin McBride contributed 20 points and eight rebounds. Bradley Douglas added 18 points, while Eli Wilborn scored a season-high eight points and grabbed five rebounds.
JMU dominated the rebounding battle, finishing with a 41-23 advantage over Louisiana. The Dukes also scored 56 points in the paint and made 20 out of 26 free throws.
For Louisiana, Jaxon Olvera and Dorian Finister combined for 56 of their team’s 72 points. No other player from Louisiana reached double figures in scoring, and the team finished with only four assists.
JMU started strong in the first half, going on a 14-0 run to build a double-digit lead. They maintained control throughout the second half despite several comeback attempts by Louisiana.
Head Coach Preston Spradlin noted that the Dukes are now 17-3 when scoring at least 80 points since he took over as head coach. Davis’s performance brought his season total to 98 three-pointers, putting him three away from tying Kent Culuko for second-most threes in a single season in JMU history.
JMU (18-14) will face Southern Miss on Thursday, March 5 at 6 p.m. ET in the next round of the Sun Belt Championship.
