We hope JMU doesn’t need to think about at-large bids come March. But if the Dukes don’t wind up taking the CAA, a victory like Monday’s against Dayton can be a resume booster. While the Flyers don’t look terribly daunting at 2-5 (brutal schedule, Shauna Green), we wouldn’t be surprised to see them win the Atlantic 10 and head to the national tournament for the third straight year.

Minus Kelly Koshuta — still serving a suspension — and without starting point guard Logan Reynolds — she tweaked her back in practice — and weathering all sorts of foul trouble, JMU produced one of the finest victories of the Sean O’Regan era in downing Dayton 68-55 at the Convo. It brought the good vibes back to Harrisonburg, which has had a couple of rough days athletically with a playoff loss to Colgate in football (why go for that punt at 4th and 6?), then lost coach Mike Houston to East Carolina (good $$, Coach, but we think you could have done better if you stuck around town another year), a shellacking in men’s basketball at the hands of Old Dominion (11 points in a half?) and a 2-1 loss in men’s soccer to Michigan State (this probably doesn’t belong on the list. Making the NCAA quarters is quite the achievement).

Back to WBB and the good news. JMU never trailed to the Flyers, who blew them out a year ago, 82-54. Dayton bricked 20 of its 26 three-point attempts. and got outrebounded by eight, led by Devon Merritt’s 10. The 6-2 junior also scored 10; Kamiah Smalls had 22 and Jackie Benitez, 15, including a pair of 3s.

Then there’s freshman point Madison Green, in her first career start, scoring eight to go with four assists and four rebounds (and two turnovers).

O’Regan said he knew for two days that Reynolds would have to sit this one out. He considered moving Smalls to point but he saw the game as an opportunity for Green who took it.

“I saw it as, ‘Let’s see what this kid’s got. Throw her in the fire,’ ” he said. “I’ve known Maddie a long time. I’ve seen her play a million games. I believe in her like that. She came through even a little bit better than I thought.”

The floater she hit in the fourth with the shot clock winding down shows all you all you need to know about this kid who hails from Winchester, Va., and plays with the poise of an upperclassman.

JMU played much of the third quarter minus Smalls, Lexie Barrier and Kayla Cooper-Williams, but instead of wilting, the Dukes extended the lead from seven to 13.

JMU never even let Dayton make a serious push in the final quarter; instead the Dukes snagged their 17th straight at home. A few weeks before Christmas and you’ve got to like where this team is right now. A hiccup loss to Hampton — kudos to the Lady Pirates’ defense for making that happen — is all that stands between a perfect 7-0 mark heading into Saturday’s noon game at Maryland. (Dayton fell to the Terps by just 11 in College Park on Nov. 11.) We’re not predicting monumental upset there, but the best news for this team is it’s not nearly close to its ceiling.

It’s only December and these Dukes are pretty good. They’ve got the pieces to be really good. We’re looking forward to watching that unfold.

Photo courtesy of JMU Athletics