MONROE, La. – The ULM women's basketball team (8-10, 3-6 Sun Belt) pushed another top team in the Sun Belt Conference to the end Thursday night but fell to James Madison (14-7, 6-3 Sun Belt) 72-68. The matchup was a back-and-forth affair that featured seven lead changes with neither side ever up by more than 10 points. 
 
Nakiyah Mays-Prince led ULM in scoring for the third straight game as she scored 14 points to go with a team high six assists. Keshunti Nichols finished with 11 points and five rebounds. Asia Barclay, Jazmine Jackson and Marcavia Shavers each chipped in 10 points with Barclay adding a team high seven rebounds.
 
The Warhawks were once again proactive in taking the fight to their opponent as they stopped the Dukes on their first five offensive possessions to begin the game. After an opening three-pointer by Asjah Inniss, additional long-range efforts from Mays-Prince and Jackson put ULM up 11-4 for what would be their largest lead of the game. JMU battled back to within two points, but Kamille Brown joined the three-point party with an effort at the buzzer to put the hosts up five after one quarter. 
 
JMU reestablished themselves in the second quarter with an early 7-0 run to eventually take their first lead of the game. From that point, the teams would exchange a number of baskets mostly within the perimeter that would see the lead change hands several times in a matter of minutes. A minor 6-2 run to close out the quarter by the Dukes would put them up by just a couple of points going into halftime.
 
A 6-0 run by the visitors out of the break pushed the lead to its greatest heights at the time of eight points before back-to-back baskets by Mays-Prince and Barclay were able to halve the deficit. JMU fought back with an 8-2 run highlighted by baskets inside and free throws to achieve the game's only double-digit lead. Out of the media timeout, the Warhawks began to earn trips to the charity stripe and a 7-0 run brought them back to within one possession. Three-pointers by Jackson and Mays-Prince tied the game at 51 late in the quarter but the Dukes rallied with a 5-0 run going into the break. 
 
ULM continued to battle to start the fourth as Shavers scored six of her 10 points to begin the quarter prior to fouling out with 6:53 left to go in the game. The Warhawks would tie the game on two more occasions, but the Dukes would find a way to break the deadlock first both times. Despite being down Shavers and Mays-Prince, who fouled out with 4:35 left go, another three-pointer by Jackson brought ULM within two points with 39 seconds left. The Warhawks would force a miss out of JMU, but the visitors won the race to the offensive rebound and knocked down free-throws at the end to seal the win.
 
The Warhawks will have a quick turnaround for their next game as they will host Marshall tomorrow afternoon. Tipoff at Fant-Ewing Coliseum is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT.