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basketball Edit

Porter Dismissed For Team Rules Violation

HARRISONBURG — James Madison women's basketball coach Sean O'Regan announced Monday that senior forward Amber Porter has been dismissed from the team for a violation of team rules.

O'Regan said Porter had been previously suspended during the spring for violating team rules, but she had not faced any previous in-season discipline. O'Regan said Porter was not in any legal trouble nor did she commit an NCAA violation.

"I'm disappointed that it came to this," O'Regan said in a phone interview, "but it was the right decision for our team."

Porter played in 33 of the Dukes' 35 games last season, her first with the Dukes after sitting out the 2015-16 season after transferring from Stetson. The Woodbridge native finished as the team's third-leading scorer at 8.5 points per game and contributed a team-high 55 blocks.

An attempt to reach Porter has been returned.

The dismissal adds more clarity to the logjam in the front court. Senior Tasia Butler returns along with 2016 Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Year Kayla Cooper-Williams, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL. The pair will be joined by Virginia Tech transfer Kelly Koshuta, who will be a redshirt sophomore, sophomore Devon Merritt and true freshman Breyenne Bellerand.

Sophomore center Debra Ferguson will sit out the fall semester after transferring from Virginia last December, but will be eligible to compete once finals are completed in December.

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