Tonie Morgan led the Cats with 18 points, while adding seven rebounds and seven assists. Amelia Hassett hit four three-point shots on her way to 14 points and Jordan Obi came off the bench to score 12 points.
Clara Strack had a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds, while Teonni Key came up just short of a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds.
Kentucky scored first on a Key bucket and two Hassett free throws before JMU got on the board. Hassett hit a left wing three to extend the lead to 7-2, but James Madison scored to cut the UK lead to three.
Hassett hit another three but JMU responded with a basket to cut the UK lead to 10-6. Morgan hit two free throws, Obi scored in the lane and Morgan made two more free throws to stretch the lead to 10.
After the Dukes scored, Strack made a long two, Morgan made a three, Kaelyn Carroll scored at the rim and Obi scored again, Strack made another basket and Obi scored once more to give UK a 29-8 lead. The Obi basket closed a 19-2 Kentucky run. The Dukes scored but Asia Boone hit a three at the buzzer and Kentucky led 32-10 after 10 minutes of play.
Morgan scored the first two points of the second quarter then Obi hit two free throws to stretch the lead to 26. After the Dukes scored, Hassett hit her third three of the game and UK led 39-12. Key scored in the lane but the Dukes scored the net six to cut the Kentucky lead to 41-18. Strack scored on a mid-range jumper and the Cats led 43-18 at the half.
In the third quarter, Morgan scored the first basket but a James Madison three-point play cut the UK lead to 45-21. Key made one-of-two at the line before the Dukes scored another bucket. A Boone three stretched the lead to 49-23. JMU scored the next four to get within 22.
Strack made another bucket and Hassett hit another three to give UK a 54-27 advantage, but the Dukes scored seven in a row to cut the UK lead to 20. Obi scored to stop the streak but JMU scored the final points of the period, which ended with Kentucky leading 56-36.
Two Strack free throws got the fourth quarter started, but JMU scored the next six to cut the Kentucky lead to 58-42. Morgan responded with one-of-two at the line, then an acrobatic layup to extend the lead to 61-42. The Dukes hit a three but Morgan answered with a three of her own and the Cats led 64-45. JMU hit a three to cut the Cats’ lead to 18.
Obi scored to stretch the lead to 68-48, but the Dukes scored three in a row to cut the UK lead to 17. The Cats hit three straight free throws to again lead by 20 points, 71-51.
Kentucky advances to Monday’s second round, where the Cats will face either homestanding West Virginia or Miami (Ohio). Tipoff time and TV designations will be made after the completion of Saturday’s action.