App State Men’s Basketball Dominates James Madison 80-65 in Wire-to-Wire Victory

Image Courtesy Of App State Facebook

In its first home game of 2026, the App State men’s basketball team (11-8, 4-3 SBC) raced to a 12-0 lead in less than three minutes and never trailed in an 80-65 wire-to-wire victory over James Madison (9-9, 2-4 SBC) on Thursday at the Holmes Center.

Dominant Performance

App State outrebounded the Dukes 38-31, with three players grabbing at least nine boards: Alonzo Dodd (10), Luke Wilson (nine), and Michael Marcus Jr. (nine). Dodd’s 10 rebounds paired with 23 points gave him his first career double-double.

The Mountaineers shot 52.5 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from three-point range, starting with five straight made field goals during the 12-0 run. App State buried 13 3-pointers, its most since Dec. 14 against High Point. Three players hit at least three treys: Kasen Jennings, Dodd, and Jalen Tot.

Jennings Reaches Milestone

Jennings scored a career-high 23 points and reached 1,000 career collegiate points at the 3:38 mark of the second half. The graduate guard from Atlanta had just five first-half points but exploded for 18 in the second half. His fifth 3-pointer of the game gave App State a 21-point lead while securing the milestone.

How It Happened

App State won the opening tip and scored on its first possession with a Wilson hook shot. The Mountaineers forced consecutive misses and extended their lead to 6-0 before James Madison called timeout. Tot hit a corner three off a Jennings feed, followed by a Marcus Jr. trey to cap the 12-0 run at the 17:08 mark.

Jennings hit a 3-pointer to push the lead to 12, but James Madison responded with eight straight points to cut it to four. Dodd countered with a three to restore a nine-point advantage. App State maintained a six-point lead late in the first half before a late spurt—capped by a Marcus Jr. tip-in and Dodd three—gave the Mountaineers an 11-point halftime lead. App State shot 51 percent in the first half while holding James Madison to 29.4 percent.

App State opened the second half identically to the first, with a 10-0 run featuring a Dodd layup and Jennings transition three to go ahead by 16. Dodd answered every James Madison run, hitting a three to restore a 13-point lead and later surpassing 20 points for the fifth time this season. Wilson’s powerful dunk and Tot’s shot-clock-beating three extended the lead to 18.

Top Performers

Jennings and Dodd both scored 23 points, combining for 13 rebounds and seven assists. Marcus Jr. added 12 points and nine rebounds. Wilson blocked a career-high five shots while adding eight points and nine rebounds.

Up Next

App State continues its homestand Saturday at 1 p.m. against Old Dominion in the second regular-season meeting. The Mountaineers won the first matchup 81-73 in Norfolk on Dec. 31. The game airs on ESPN+.