HARRISONBURG, VA - The Gardner-Webb University women's basketball team dropped an early afternoon contest at James Madison on Sunday, scoring a season high in points but suffering a 102-69 defeat to its Sun Belt opposition

Sunday's contest featured a lightning fast start for both teams, with James Madison (4-1, 0-0 Sun Belt) holding a 23-22 lead through the opening 10 minutes. Gardner-Webb (1-4, 0-0 Big South) shot a solid 8-of-14 in the opening frame, including four made three pointers, while James Madison matched with four of its own on 7-of-17 from the deck. Senior guard Ashley Hawkins was immense early on, scoring the game's first four points for GWU, alongside sophomore guard Anaya Harris who scored eight points and added two assists in the game's opening minutes. Harris went back to back from long range with sophomore guard Elle Blatchford to end the quarter and keep up the hot shooting by the Runnin' Bulldogs.

While cooling off some, Gardner-Webb continued to shoot the rock well into the second quarter by knocking down 7-of-16 shots and a pair of made threes. The Runnin' Bulldogs were unable to keep up with JMU however as the Dukes scorched the nets for 29 second quarter points and a 52-38 halftime lead. Picking up where she left off, Blatchford gave GWU the lead with 7:22 until the break, knocking down a second three to make the score 29-28. While James Madison did counter to take a lead that stood between seven and nine for the rest of the half, it didn't stop Blatchford who over the next few minutes hit another three and a mid-range jumper to bring her first half total to 11.

The game would change for good in the third quarter, as James Madison rode 11 more made field goals, a 55% clip, and just 4-of-19 for the Runnin' Bulldogs to a 79-51 lead by the end of the third. A jumper by Harris with 7:46 to go in the third brought the score to 55-40, James Madison but was part of a season-high 14 points for the sophomore out of Raleigh, N.C. Two more three pointers by Blatchford and a pair of free throws on the board by Harris in the final couple of minutes brought an end to the third quarter of play,

In the fourth, the Runnin' Bulldogs would see some key contributions off the bench. Junior guard Nyla Walker checked in late for GWU to score four points and add two assists, while  sophomore forward Andrea Martinez played her best of 21 minutes late, hitting a jumper with 4:05 to go. Martinez finished the game with five points and two made field goals. The JMU lead would fluctuate some in the fourth, but ultimately the Dukes had pulled away and finished off Gardner-Webb by a final score of 102-69.

Leaders for Gardner-Webb include Blatchford with her first collegiate 20-point game on 7-of-9 shooting and 6-of-7 from three, Hawkins with 15 points on 6-of-11, Harris with 14 points, four rebounds, three assists, and graduate forward Elze Motekaityte who finishes with eight points, six rebounds.

Gardner-Webb returns to action just up the road on Thursday night, traveling to UNC Charlotte for a 6:30 p.m. tip.