HARRISONBURG, Va.- An 18-6 run in the game's opening 7:56 led Colonial Athletic Association preseason favorite James Madison to a 93-53 win over Longwood Wednesday night inside the JMU Convocation Center. 

Despite the early lead, Longwood cut into James Madison's early advantage with a run to end the first quarter of action.  Freshman Kyla McMakin timely scored four points in the final two minutes of the quarter, contributing to the Lancers' 8-0 run and her team-high 17 points. McMakin came alive in the second quarter, scoring eleven points on 5-9 shooting from the floor and  2-3 shooting from the three-point range. 

"We were prepared for JMU to look like they were close to midseason form with their depth and longevity of success," said head coach Rebecca Tillett. "I thought we had moments of toughness as we were able to come out of timeouts and make a play."

James Madison, voted No. 1 in the CAA, saw its offense spark in the closing minutes of the half. The Dukes extended their lead back to 13 and continued their offensive success after halftime, shooting 57 percent (20-35) from the floor. 

Kamiah Smalls, the CAA Preseason Player of the Year, scored 25 points and added seven rebounds and six assists in the Dukes victory. 

"What concerned us coming into tonight still concerns us," Tillett said. "Our ability to get stops consistently, and not give up as many rebounds on the offensive side is something we need to address immediately." 

Longwood leaned on Allysah 'Cookie' Boothe's range after halftime, as the junior hit 2-of-3 three-pointers. Fellow newcomer Tra'Dayja Smith finished the game strong, scoring nine points in the closing minutes off of 3-of-4 shooting with a pair of treys. 

"Everything Tra'Dayja Smith does for our team is key, from leadership to determination. Even in the end, she is making play after play, showing she is not going to stop playing."  

McMakin finished with 17 points and five rebounds, and Preseason All-Big South forward Dayna Rouse contributed on the offensive end with 13 points and four rebounds. 

"Kyla McMakin showed her ability to make good decisions offensively," Tillett said. "The challenge for her is to continue to grow on the defensive end as we challenge all of our freshmen to do."

"Dayna responded after the first half after JMU covered her really tough on defense."

Longwood will now prepare for the long trip to Gainesville, Fla., to take on the University of Florida on November 10, before returning to the comforts of Willett Hall to take on the University of North Carolina Wilmington on November 13.