James Madison women beat Troy 69-52 for 2nd Sun Belt Tournament title since joining league in 2022

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PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — Peyton McDaniel scored 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Ashanti Barnes also had a double-double with 19 points and 12 boards, and No. 4 seed James Madison beat second-seeded Troy 69-52 on Monday to claim its second Sun Belt Tournament championship since joining the league in 2022.

James Madison (26-8) was appearing in its fourth consecutive Sun Belt title game, the first program to do so since Middle Tennessee went to eight straight from 2003-10. McDaniel scored 30 points the last time JMU won the title in 2023.

Four different James Madison starters scored during a game-opening 13-0 run that included six straight made field goals. Troy missed its first 11 shots.

James Madison opened the third quarter on a 14-4 run to take a double-digit lead for good at 48-34. The Dukes added an 8-0 run to begin to the fourth to pull away.

McDaniel, who was named the Sun Belt most outstanding player, finished 11 of 23 from the field, including 5 of 12 from behind the arc. She also had 10 rebounds and four assists for JMU, which became the first four-seed to capture the Sun Belt championship since Troy did so in the 2015-16 season.

Fortuna Ngnawo led Troy (25-7) with 18 points and 12 rebounds before leaving the game late in the fourth with an injury. Emani Jenkins made Troy's first 3-pointer of the game — in nine attempts — with 5:27 left in the fourth.

The Trojans were seeking a fourth Sun Belt title (2021, 2017, 2016).

James Madison, which has won 12 straight games, will make the program's 14th appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

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