NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Xavier Brown is used to hitting the hardwood in the 757. Wednesday saw the Williamsburg native return in a big way.
Brown, now a sophomore at James Madison, scored 10 points in the Dukes' 78-62 win over Old Dominion. The guard drained two triples and added a dunk during his 26 minutes, his second straight game in the starting line-up for JMU. He got the chance to perform in front of some familiar faces and where he used to watch his sister take the floor.
"It meant the world to see all my family and friends," he said after the win. "My sister played basketball here for three years so I remember being a kid on the floor just running around after the ball and working out and stuff here, coming to camp and stuff like that, so it feels good to come back and get a win."
Brown played his high school basketball at Jamestown. He put together a senior campaign that earned him First Team All-State, averaging 28.6 points, 6.7 assists and 6.6 rebounds per game. He's played in all 20 games this season for JMU, averaging 6.4 points and 19.3 minutes per contest and has worked his way into the starting five. The former Eagle is enjoying the ride with a team that has won 18 of its first 20 games.
"It's been a blast," Brown said of the season so far. "You couldn't draw it up any better. We've been battle-tested."
The guard has had his moments this season, dropping a career-high 17 points at Hampton in December. He also played a season-best 31 minutes this past weekend at Marshall.
Wednesday marked the second win of the season at Chartway Arena for Brown and the Dukes. JMU topped Old Dominion, 84-69, on December 9. The two teams will meet again in Harrisonburg on February 3.
