James Madison Dukes Dominate UIC, Prepare for UC San Diego Matchup

The James Madison Dukes secured a convincing 99-81 victory over the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Flames in the opening round of the Boardwalk Battle at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Thursday.

Sophomore guard Bryce Lindsay was the standout performer for James Madison, scoring 28 points in just 22 minutes, including 10-of-11 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 from three-point range. The Dukes’ strong second-half performance, marked by a 54-40 run, sealed the win after a closely contested first half.

UIC’s Ahmad Henderson II and Sasa Ciani put up notable performances, with Henderson scoring a season-high 17 points and Ciani nearly achieving a double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds. However, the Flames were unable to keep pace with James Madison’s hot shooting.

Following this win, the James Madison Dukes are set to face the UC San Diego Tritons on Friday, November 22, at 3:30 PM EDT at the Ocean Center. The game will be broadcast live on BallerTV and available for streaming on ESPN+.

The UC San Diego Tritons come into this matchup after a 72-67 win over La Salle, led by Tyler McGhie‘s 27 points and Nordin Kapic’s double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds. The Tritons will look to build on this momentum against the Dukes.

Both teams have shown strong offensive capabilities, with James Madison averaging 83.8 points per game on 49.3% shooting from the field, and UC San Diego averaging 71.8 points per game on 41.8% shooting. The game is expected to be high-scoring, with both teams capable of putting up significant points.