WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The William & Mary women's basketball team fell to hot-shooting James Madison 79-64 at Kaplan Arena on Sunday afternoon. With the decision, the Tribe falls to 13-6, 3-5 in the Colonial Athletic Association, while the Dukes improve to 14-5, 7-2 in league action.
 
Senior Alexandra Masaquel recorded her fifth double-double of the season scoring 18 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and adding an assist and a steal. Junior Abby Rendle chipped in 17 points off of the bench and added four boards and two rejections.
 
The first-ever Golden Game saw a season-high 1,106 people come the turnstiles at Kaplan Arena. It was the second largest attendance in W&M women's basketball history.
 
Tied 11-11 midway through the first quarter James Madison used a 6-0 run to build a 17-11 lead with 2:59 left in the opening period. Hailee Barron connected on a triple, before Lexie Barrier completed a traditional 3-point play.
 
Facing a seven-point deficit, W&M responded with a 10-2 advantage to regain the lead in the second quarter. Senior Kasey Curtis, who earned her first start of the season, opened the scoring with a lay-up, before seniors Marlena Tremba and Latrice Hunter added buckets to cut it to one. After a JMU basket, Hunter canned another jumper and Masaquel added a jumper to make it 32-31 with 4:15 left in the half.
 
After the game went back and forth for the next few possessions, the Dukes closed the half with a 5-0 run. CAA Preseason Player of the Year Precious Hall accounted for all five points on a trey, and a floater right before the halftime horn. The spurt lifted JMU to 43-36 advantage that they would not relinquish.
 
JMU used a 6-0 run to build its lead into double-figures to open the third quarter. Hall again did the damage connecting on back-to-back 3-pointers making it 49-38 with 6:33 left in the game.
 
The closest the Tribe would come was six, when they opened the final stanza on a 5-0 run. Rendle netted three points around a Masaquel lay-up, cutting the lead to 57-51 with 8:04 left in regulation.
 
However, James Madison responded with a Barron 3-pointer and a Barrier jumper to extend the advantage back to double figures. The game stayed around seven-to-nine point cushion, before the Dukes added free throws to extend their lead late.
 
JMU connected on nine triples, which were the most the Tribe conceded all season long. The Dukes were also a perfect 18-for-18 from the free throw line.
 
W&M also enjoyed a good shooting day from the field finished at 48.2-percent (27-of-56). However the Tribe was frigid behind the arc going just 1-of-14 from distance.
 
Hall led three Dukes in double-figures with 27 points and eight rebounds. Barron scored 14 points and four rebounds, and two assists, while Amber Porter added 12 points off of the bench.
 
Next weekend, the Tribe makes the CAA's Northern road trip starting at Northeastern on Friday, Feb. 3. Tip time from Beantown is set for 7 p.m.