James Madison University's basketball team heads into the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in Pensacola, Fla., with optimism despite a late-season setback. The Dukes, seeded ninth in the tournament, finished the regular season with eight wins in their final 11 games, but a last-second loss to Coastal Carolina in their home finale prevented them from securing a higher seed. The bracket structure, which grants the top two seeds direct entry to the semifinals, means JMU will need to win six consecutive games to claim the title. The Dukes will open their tournament campaign against either Louisiana (No. 12 seed) or Georgia State (No. 13 seed) on Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the Pensacola Bay Center. Despite the challenging path, players and coaches remain confident in their ability to compete. Forward Justin McBride emphasized that the loss to Coastal Carolina, while painful, does not diminish their belief in their team's potential. "We got all the confidence in the world still after this loss to get to Pensacola and win it all," McBride said. "This one would have helped us more. It stings, but we’re going to learn from it and watch film and get ready to go to Pensacola and win it all." JMU’s confidence is rooted in their late-season performance. After struggling early in conference play with a 2-6 record, the team rebounded with key road victories against Troy and Arkansas State, the latter of which holds the second-highest NET ranking in the league. Center Gabe Newhof acknowledged the disappointment of the Coastal loss but highlighted the team's momentum. "This loss sucks," Newhof said, "but it doesn’t take away from the fact that I believe and the team believes we’re playing our best basketball.#justin_mcbride #james_madison_university #sun_belt_conference_tournament #pensacola_bay_center #gabe_newhof
