NCAA Basketball

James Madison stuns No. 4 Michigan State in overtime

The first stunner of the season didn't take long

Share
NBC Universal, Inc.

Terrence Edwards had 24 points and Raekwon Horton made a 3-pointer with 8.6 seconds left in overtime, sending James Madison past No. 4 Michigan State for a 79-76 victory on Monday night.

Tyson Walker scored 35 points for Michigan State, but he had the ball poked away from behind in the closing seconds of the season opener.

The Spartans shot 36.1% overall. They missed 19 of 20 3-point shots and made just 23 of 37 free throws.

Walker made a layup to give Michigan State a four-point lead with 1:26 left in regulation, and it lost the advantage at both ends of the court.

Noah Freidel made two free throws after A.J. Hoggard fouled him on a 3-point shot. After Michigan State's point guard missed a 3-point shot, T.J. Bickerstaff made a tying jumper with 30 seconds left and Walker couldn't connect on a jumper just before the buzzer.

Bickerstaff scored 21 points in James Madison's first win against a ranked team since a victory over No. 19 California on Dec. 29, 1992, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Dukes improved to 2-32 against ranked teams.

James Madison, looking and playing with a lot of confidence, never backed down against a team expected to contend for a national championship.

The Spartans trailed 25-12 with six-plus minutes left in the first half and pulled within four points at halftime, getting fired up about trash-talking from the visitors.

Jaden Akins gave Michigan State its first lead with 15:16 remaining, making a shot after missing six attempts from the field.

Walker did his part, but freshman reserve Coen Carr, with 14 points, was his only teammate in double figures.

Bickerstaff is a Boston College transfer and nephew of Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff.

BIG PICTURE

James Madison: The Dukes won 22 games last year, two short of the school record set in 1982, and might be even better this season. The school based in Harrisonburg, Virginia, is the preseason favorite to win the Sun Belt this season in its second year in the conference.

Michigan State: The Spartans will want to figure out how to begin games better. After trailing Tennessee 17-1 in a charity exhibition game, they fell behind 20-7 to James Madison. Michigan State missed 14 of 18 shots and 8 of 10 free throws to open the game.

UP NEXT

James Madison: Play at Kent State on Thursday night.

Michigan State: Host Southern Indiana on Thursday night.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us