Graphic courtesy of JMU Athletics Communications

By Bennett Conlin (This content was originally published in our newsletter)

Dukes clinch share of CAA regular season title – At worst, JMU women’s basketball (23-4, 15-1 CAA) will share the CAA regular season title with Drexel. The Dukes have a chance to clinch the CAA regular season title outright when they host Drexel on Thursday. 

Gaining momentum – The Dukes have won 11 consecutive games and are making a case for an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament, even if they don’t secure the automatic berth by winning the CAA Tournament. They’re far from an at-large lock, but the team’s RPI sits in the mid-30s and the overall record is flashy. Losses to Hampton and UNCW might ultimately hold the team back, though. 

Keep an eye on JMU’s resume moving forward, as the Dukes might be on the selection committee’s radar even if they don’t win the CAA Tournament. If the Dukes do win the CAA title, they might be able to sneak into the 10, 11 or 12 seed range given their respectable overall resume. The latest ESPN bracketology has the Dukes as an 11 seed playing UCLA. 

Up next – Although they normally play on Fridays and Sundays, the Dukes will host games on Thursday and Saturday this week. This is perfect for our newsletter schedule. Thanks, CAA! We’ll know by Friday morning if the Dukes are outright CAA regular season champions. JMU plays Drexel (21-6, 13-3 CAA) on Thursday and Delaware (15-13, 10-6 CAA) on Saturday. A win in either game makes the Dukes CAA regular season champs.