RedHawks Earn First Victory of the Season at JMU, 86-77

Monday, November 2

Harrisonburg, Va.

7 p.m.

Miami University

1-0,0-0MAC

James Madison

0-1,0-0Sun Belt

Team	1	2	F
Miami (OH)	35	51	86
James Madison	41	36	77

Photo by: Ellie Reynolds

11/2/2026 9:56:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va. – The Miami University men's basketball team (1-0) secured an 86-77 win against the James Madison Dukes (0-1) at the Atlantic Union Bank Center on Monday night in both teams' season opener.

Luke Skaljac totaled a game-high 19 points, while Evan Ipsaro (15), Stevie Elam (13) and Almar Atlason (10) added double figures in scoring. Antwone Woolfolk led everyone on the floor with 10 rebounds. Ipsaro led all players with four steals, while both Ipsaro and Sklajac each totaled a game-high five assists. Paul Jones III led the Dukes with 14 points.

How it Happened:

The RedHawks attacked the paint at the beginning of the contest to grab an early 8-0 lead at the start. The Dukes answered by taking their first lead at 12-11 before Justin Kirby tipped in his own shot, Woolfolk made a layup and Atlason got positioned in the paint for a touch shot to regain control at 17-12. James Madison didn't go away, evening the score at 23-23 with 8:14 remaining in the first half.
The score remained even at 31 apiece thanks to a series of free throws from the RedHawks. Tyler Robbins recorded a block at the rim and ran the floor in transition, where Kirby then found him for a layup after making an acrobatic pass. Ipsaro flew down the lane and found a cutting Skaljac for a shot against the glass to head into halftime trailing 41-35.
Ipsaro scored a floater coming out of the break and went on to bury a pair of deep triples to make it a three-point game at 48-45. After the Dukes grew their lead to 54-45, Atlason found Kyle Waltz cutting off a back screen for a wide-open layup to end the scoring run. On the next possession, Skaljac recorded a steal and went coast-to-coast, where he found Atlason for a layup plus the foul to stay within striking distance at 54-50. Six consecutive points from Elam knotted the score at 58-58, including a physical transition layup that forced a JMU timeout with just over 10 minutes of action remaining.
A layup and a three from Skaljac from the top of the arc handed Miami its first lead since the first half at 64-63. The Dukes reclaimed the lead at 65-64, but the RedHawks responded with a 13-0 scoring burst. Skaljac didn't slow down, as he hit yet another three from the left wing and got to the free throw line to keep the visitors on top 69-65 with 5:32 to go. A massive offensive rebound from Woolfolk led to an Elam shot from downtown, and on the following possession, Skaljac recorded his third steal of the game, finishing the possession with a three to take the first double-digit advantage of the game by either team at 75-65. JMU attempted to fight its way back into the game, but the Red and White fended off the Dukes for an 86-77 victory.

Game Notes: