Saturday, March 1st, 2:00 p.m. (et)

FACTS & STATS: Site: Convocation Center (7,156) -- Harrisonburg, Virginia. Television: None. Home Record: GA State 6-8, JMU 8-5. Away Record: GA State 3-11, JMU 3-11. Neutral Record: GA State 0-0, JMU 1-0. Conference Record: GA State 5-12, JMU 4-13. Series Record: Series is tied, 2-2.

GAME NOTES: Two of the worst teams in the Colonial Athletic Association will collide this afternoon at the Convocation Center, when the James Madison Dukes host the Georgia State Panthers. The Panthers only have nine wins on the season, but three of those victories have come over the last four games. The team is currently riding a modest two-game winning streak, with the most recent victory coming this past Wednesday against Towson (79-63). Even with the win, Georgia State is still just 5-12 in CAA play. As for the Dukes, they have dropped 11 of their last 13 matchups, including a tough, 70-67 loss to Drexel earlier this week. The terrible skid has left JMU at the bottom of the CAA standings with a meager 4-13 ledger. The majority of the success for JMU this season, has come at the Convocation Center, where the team is 8-5 on the year. Last season the Dukes grabbed a hard-fought, 59-52 victory over Georgia State. With the win, the all-time series is now tied at two games apiece.

The Panthers put forth a surprising effort this past Wednesday, as they exploded for 79 points en route to a 16-point win over Towson. Georgia State shot a stellar 59.6 percent from the floor and connected on an impressive 11- of-19 from behind the arc. It was a shocking performance for a team that is producing a meager 61.8 ppg. Leonard Mendez, who is leading the team with 16.1 ppg, paced the squad in the win over Towson with 21 points. Michael Moynihan added 13 points and six assists, while Trae Goldston tallied 12 points. Deven Dickerson and Justin Billingslea also contributed to the win, netting 11 and 10 points, respectively.

The Dukes are much better at the offensive end of the court when compared to the Panthers, and are currently averaging 73.7 ppg, while shooting 45.9 percent from the floor. Abdulai Jalloh has been the top option for JMU as the guard is netting 15.9 ppg to go along with 5.6 rpg. Juwann James and Terrance Carter have formed a strong frontcourt duo, with James posting 12.9 ppg and 6.0 rpg, while Carter is contributing 12.8 ppg to go along with a team-high 6.8 rpg. Unfortunately this past weekend, the Dukes struggled against Drexel, falling to the Dragons by a 70-67 score. JMU shot just 37.3 percent from the floor in the contest and also committed 18 turnovers. James paced the team with 22 points and nine rebounds, while Kyle Swanston also collected nine caroms to go along with 12 points. Jalloh also tallied 12 points, while Carter chipped in 10 points, despite shooting a dreadful 1-of-10 from the floor.

The Dukes were not at their best against Drexel, but they should be able to rebound against a Georgia State team which has lost 11 of its 14 road matchups on the year.

Predicted Outcome

James Madison 74, Georgia State 61