ATLANTA (Interstat) — Cliff Davis scored 27 points and James Madison used a dominant first half to build an insurmountable lead, cruising to an 80-65 victory over Georgia State in a Sun Belt Conference men’s basketball game Saturday afternoon at GSU Sports Arena.

The Dukes (16-13, 8-8) led wire-to-wire, opening the game on a 14-0 run and never looking back. They took a 40-26 advantage into halftime and maintained a double-digit cushion throughout the second half to sweep the season series from the Panthers (10-19, 5-11). The teams had played an overtime thriller just 10 days prior, a game James Madison won 81-79.

The most critical phase of the contest was its opening minutes. James Madison set an immediate, physical tone, forcing two Georgia State turnovers and converting them into easy baskets. Gabe Newhof scored on a layup 36 seconds in, Justin McBride completed a three-point play, and Preston Fowler added a layup to make it 7-0, prompting a Georgia State timeout just 1:22 into the game. The run extended to 14-0 before the Panthers finally got on the board nearly four minutes in. That early burst established a template of interior dominance and defensive pressure that Georgia State could never overcome.

Davis, a junior guard from Thomasville, Georgia, was efficient and relentless, hitting 11 of his 19 field goal attempts. He consistently attacked the rim, contributing to James Madison’s overwhelming 58-22 advantage in points in the paint. He also added four rebounds and two assists in 36 minutes. His backcourt mate, Oriekose Egbule, controlled the glass with a game-high nine rebounds.

Newhof, a 6-foot-9 forward, provided crucial interior scoring with 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting, while also grabbing five rebounds. McBride added nine points and four rebounds.

Georgia State was led by Micah Tucker’s 22 points. Jelani Hamilton added 19 points, six rebounds and two assists for the Panthers, who shot just 40.7% from the field. Despite making 15 of 18 free throws and committing only 11 turnovers, they were undone by James Madison’s superior efficiency and rebounding.

The Dukes shot 56.4% from the floor overall but were an uncharacteristic 2 of 15 from three-point range. It did not matter, as they scored 23 fast-break points to Georgia State’s six and outrebounded the Panthers 12-6 on the offensive glass, leading to a 19-12 edge in second-chance points.

James Madison’s offensive rating of 120.4 on 66 possessions underscored its effective, if perimeter-challenged, performance. Georgia State managed an offensive rating of just 96.2.

The victory marked James Madison’s third straight win, improving its position in the Sun Belt standings. Georgia State has now lost two of its last three.

An announced crowd of 1,396 watched at GSU Sports Arena.

James Madison will host Georgia Southern on Wednesday night. Georgia State is scheduled to host Coastal Carolina on Tuesday night.