The James Madison Dukes were the favorites to advance tonight, but for most of tonight's game, it appeared that they would have a lot of trouble doing so. In the team's opening round game of the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament, the Dukes fell to the lower ranked William & Mary Tribe 72-68, in the first major upset of the Tournament.
6'-6" junior Quinn McDowell turned in an outstanding career-high performance for the Tribe, scoring 35 points. He made 10 of his 12 field goals, three of his four three-pointers, and 10 of his 11 free-throw attempts. Pretty impressive.
Denzel Bowles and Devon Moore were the top two players for the Dukes in four different statistical categories this season - points, rebounds, assists, and minutes - but they just couldn't compete with McDowell. Bowles, a 6'-10" freshman from Virginia Beach, was held to just five points, while Moore scored 22.
With their victory tonight, William & Mary will advance to the quarterfinals of the CAA Tournament, where they'll play in prime-time at the Richmond Coliseum once again. They will face the Hofstra Pride, the CAA's third ranked team with a record of 14-4.