HARRISONBURG, Va. (Interstat) — The James Madison Dukes delivered a dominant wire-to-wire performance Thursday night, overwhelming the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns 96-45 in a Sun Belt Conference women’s basketball game at the JMU Convocation Center.

From the opening tip, the Dukes established a pace and defensive intensity that the visiting Ragin’ Cajuns could not match. James Madison scored the game’s first eight points, fueled by an early layup from Zakiya Stephenson and a transition jumper from Peyton McDaniel. While Louisiana-Lafayette’s Mikaylah Manley briefly stemmed the tide with a first-quarter jumper, the Dukes’ relentless pressure created a cascade of turnovers and easy scoring opportunities.

The most important part of the game was the Dukes’ suffocating first-half defense, which effectively decided the contest before halftime. James Madison forced 15 Louisiana-Lafayette turnovers in the opening 20 minutes, converting those miscues into 18 points. The Ragin’ Cajuns struggled to find any offensive rhythm, shooting poorly from the field and managing only 22 points by the intermission. Conversely, the Dukes executed efficiently on both ends, building a 40-22 lead at the break with a balanced attack that saw six players score.

Any notion of a second-half rally was extinguished quickly as James Madison opened the third quarter with a 10-2 run, pushing the lead to 26 points. The Dukes continued to pour it on in the fourth quarter, outscoring Louisiana-Lafayette 32-7 in the final period to turn the game into a rout. James Madison’s depth was on full display as they scored 48 points off the bench and tallied 28 fast-break points, highlighting the chasm between the two teams on this night.

Bree Robinson, the Dukes’ top star, led all scorers with 22 points, adding six assists. The guard from Mississauga, Canada, was instrumental in orchestrating the offense and applying defensive pressure. She was complemented by a host of teammates, including Ashanti Barnes with 14 points and three assists, and Peyton McDaniel, who contributed 13 points, three assists and two blocks. Kylie Marshall provided a significant spark off the bench, scoring all 14 of her points in the first half to help build the insurmountable lead.

For Louisiana-Lafayette, which fell to 2-19 overall, Mikaylah Manley was a bright spot, fighting for a game-high 38 minutes and scoring 21 points. Imani Daniel added 10 points for the Ragin’ Cajuns, who have now lost eight of their last nine games.

James Madison, which improved to 15-8, showcased the form that has made it a contender in the Sun Belt. The Dukes shot a high percentage from the field and shared the ball effectively, finishing with 24 assists on 37 made field goals. Their defensive effort held Louisiana-Lafayette to single-digit scoring in the second and fourth quarters.

The announced attendance was 1,988 at the JMU Convocation Center.

James Madison will look to carry this momentum into its next contest, a home game against South Alabama on Saturday. Louisiana-Lafayette continues its road trip with a visit to Marshall on Saturday.