Miami (OH) men's basketball beats James Madison 86-77 in season opener

James Madison men's basketball opened its season with an 86-77 home loss to Miami (OH) on Monday at Atlantic Union Bank Center, falling to 0-1.

The Dukes led 41-35 at halftime. The RedHawks outscored them 51-36 in the second half to move to 1-0.

How the game turned

The teams traded the lead eight times. James Madison's largest lead was nine points, and Miami (OH)'s was 13.

The RedHawks shot 31-for-68 from the field (46 percent) and made 16 of 17 free throws. The Dukes shot 27-for-70 (39 percent) and made 9 of 16 at the line.

Miami (OH) outscored James Madison 46-24 in the paint and 18-5 on fast breaks. The RedHawks also had a 20-13 edge in points off turnovers, with 10 steals to the Dukes' six. James Madison committed 12 turnovers to Miami (OH)'s 11.

RedHawks leaders

Luke Skaljac led all scorers with 19 points, going 6-for-6 at the free throw line, and added five assists and three steals. Evan Ipsaro scored 15 with five assists and four steals. Stevie Elam came off the bench to score 13 on 6-for-8 shooting. Antwone Woolfolk grabbed 10 rebounds, four of them offensive, and Justin Kirby had nine boards.

Dukes leaders

Paul Jones III led James Madison with 14 points off the bench, hitting 3 of 6 from three and all three of his free throws. Adrian Myers scored 11 with three three-pointers, K.J. Windham also had 11 points, and Ace Meeks scored 11 on 5-for-7 shooting. Jacob Hogarth added nine.

Garrett Sundra had eight points and a team-high eight rebounds. Windham committed six of the team's 12 turnovers.

James Madison made 14 of 34 three-pointers (41 percent) and had 16 offensive rebounds, but Miami (OH) held a 44-39 rebounding edge overall.

Next up

James Madison plays at Kentucky on Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. ET.