Kentucky Wildcats’ First Quarter Blitz Leads to 71-56 win over James Madison Dukes

In the matchup with two old friends reuniting in Kentucky, head coach Kenny Brooks and James Madison head coach Sean O’Regan, it was Brooks’ Wildcats squad that won the day in the end to advance to the 2nd Round of the NCAA Women’s Tournament 71-56. 

The Wildcats were propelled by a huge first quarter, where they were the dominant team throughout the entire period, winning the quarter 32-10, where the Dukes struggled from the field for the entire quarter against the length and defensive prowess of the Wildcats, as JMU was down as much as 29 points in the first half of this game. Brooks moves to 1-1 in his career against his friend O’Regan and JMU after this wire-to-wire win for the five-seeded Kentucky. Here’s the breakdown of what happened in this game. 

Game Summary 

First Half

The game was won in the first quarter for the Wildcats as they came out of the gates hot from the field and were able to get to the foul line throughout the duration of the first quarter against a Dukes squad that won 12 straight games entering the tournament, but that first quarter was a brutal outcome for the JMU faithful. JMU was able to stabilize the ship a little bit in the second quarter but still only scored eight points in that period to enter the half down 43-18. 

Second Half 

The Dukes were the better team in the second half believe it or not, but if you look at the live action, and the box score for each quarter, the Dukes outscored the Wildcats 38-28 in the second half of this game as they were able to fight and show why they were a popular pick for a potential upset in this Women’s bracket in 2026. But Kentucky was able to still keep them at arm’s length throughout the duration of the second half as JMU couldn’t get within 15 points. 

The problem for JMU was shooting, as James Madison didn’t make their first three-pointer until 6:32 of the fourth quarter, when the Dukes were one of the better three-point shooting teams in the country. 

Give credit to Kentucky for getting James Madison off its game, and they were able to stabilize enough possessions on the offensive end themselves to earn the win in Morgantown. Both teams had 16 turnovers, but Kentucky was able to take advantage of the 16 points of the JMU turnovers, while JMU only had nine points of turnovers. 

Also, JMU took away Kentucky’s best player in this game, Clara Strack. Strack only had 10 points in the game, but she had 14 rebounds. Here are some other key performers in this game. 

Key Performers 

Kentucky Wildcats

• Tonie Morgan: 18 points, seven rebounds, seven assists on 5-for-12 shooting, 6-for-8 from the line. Morgan was the stabilizing factor for Kentucky as the floor general when the Dukes were doubling Strack throughout. 
• Amelia Hassett: 13 points on 4-for-13 shooting from three, and 2-for-2 from the charity stripe. 

James Madison Dukes

• Ashanti Barnes: 16 points and six rebounds on 5-for-17 shooting from the field in this game. 
• Peyton McDaniel: 15 points, seven rebounds, and three assists on 7-for-18 shooting from the floor. 

Key Stat that Mattered: Three-Point Shooting

The three-point shooting in this game is what mattered the most, which cost the Dukes the opportunity for a potential comeback in the second half. James Madison was 3-for-17 from the three-point line, while Kentucky was 8-for-26 from three. Kentucky wasn’t that much better from the arc, but James Madison’s uncharacteristic play from three cost them in this game. And most of those three-point attempts were rushed for the Dukes. 

What Does This Mean Moving Forward for Both Programs

Kentucky returns to the second round and will face the winner of the West Virginia-Miami (Ohio) matchup on Monday. While James Madison’s season ends with a 26-9 record, as McDaniel and Barnes’ careers end in Morgantown. Brooks is poised and ready for a potential Sweet 16 opportunity with another program after leading the Hokies to a Final Four a few years ago.