Game story: JMU zips up LIU

   JMU’s ‘Zip em’ Up’ defense led by freshman Andre Nation held the nation’s fifth best offense, LIU Brooklyn to their fewest points all season. The Dukes advanced into the second round of the NCAA tournament with a 68-55 victory over the Blackbirds. The Blackbirds averaged 79.5 points/game coming into Wednesday night, fifth best out of 347 Division I schools.

   The minute JMU found out they were playing LIU, everyone began using the word, “pace.” The Blackbirds liked to run and push the tempo. It was the key to the game last night and the Dukes set the tone early and barely gave in.  

   “We knew they liked to get out and run,” freshman Chalres Cooke said. “Shots that we normally take we had to turn down so we could stop their transition.”

   On many trips down the floor Wednesday night, redshirt senior point guard Devon Moore and company would hold the ball around mid-court, purposely draining seconds off the shot clock in order to slow down LIU and prevent transition.  

   “We didn’t want to start on their tempo,” freshman Andre Nation said. “We’re a fast-paced team too. They play faster than us, so we knew if we could get them to play to our tempo, then we were going to control the whole game, and I think we did a good job with that.”

   This tempo aggravated, even pissed off the Blackbirds at points. All of this slowed down play was against an LIU team that said if they were in a half-court offensive set, it was because they got an offensive rebound. This played into JMU’s favor.

   The Dukes got off to a 10-2 start similar to their outburst in the CAA championship game against Northeastern. They never trailed to LIU in the first half and led by as many as 12 taking a 32-31 lead into the break.

   A.J. Davis hit his first three that he took early in the first half and the redshirt senior finished the night with 20 points, which is his sixth 20 plus point performance in the last seven games.

   Fifth year senior Rayshawn Goins was not available for last night’s first half. He was serving his 20-minute suspension after getting arrested Sunday night. His unavailability for the first half caused coach Matt Brady to reveal his 15^th different starting lineup of the season. It was identical to the lineups he used all throughout the CAA tournament, but instead of Goins, Brady gave the nod to Cooke. He took the opportunity and ran with it.

   “I sure did,” Cooke said. “It was now or never.”

   Cooke finished one shy of tying his career high of 16 points with a 15 offensive outburst that the team welcomed with open arms.

   “There’s times when I think he’s going to be the best freshman of the group,” Brady said. “He’s got great confidence in his game.”

   Cooke had doubled his season average of five points a game by halftime. In the last five games, he had logged a total of just nine points. Three of those games were completely scoreless.

   “Tonight I was able to make shots,” he said. “It always starts on the defensive end for me.”

   Goins however did start the second half and after a slow and shaky start, he came up big on the glass grabbing eight rebounds in just 13 minutes played. Five of those were offensive that helped JMU net 18-second chance points.

   The MVP of the night however goes to Nation. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Nation became just the ninth player since 1986 to log at least 14 points, seven rebounds, five blocks, and four assists. Other players on this list include Shaquille O’Neil, Joakim Noah, and Josh McRoberts to name a few.

   “Once we stick together, we’re good defensively, we know that,” Nation said. “So just staying together as a team and playing team defense, we knew we were going to get stops.”

   Brady was very impressed, but not surprised on Nation’s performance

   “He’s further along with his basketball IQ than I recognize,” Brady said. “He’s got the basketball ability that I recognized when we started recruiting him. I think he can do more on offense, but he’s willing to wait his turn and just kind of be a role player. The defensive end, obviously, he’s unique for our team, and I think even for our league.”

   Nation was able to limit LIU’s leading scorer, Jamal Olasewere around the glass.

   The team forced 11 LIU turnovers that resulted in 17 JMU points.

   It got worrisome during the second half when Moore picked up his fourth foul with 8:44 remaining. The Columbus native spent the next four minutes on the bench.

   “Devon Moore is a very cerebral defensive player,” Brady said. “We thought we had enough cushion.”

   Cooke and Nation, as freshman stepped up amidst the limelight and played a huge role in JMU advancing into the next round.

   “We have great senior leadership,” Nation said. “They led, we followed.”

    Last night marked JMU’s first NCAA tournament victory since in just over 30 years. March 17, 1983 was the team’s last victory in the big dance against West Virginia.

   Friday, the Dukes (21-14) will go up against history and number one seed Indiana. A 16-seeded team has never taken down the one seed in 112 games since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985.

   “It’s still the David vs Goliath matchup,” Colonial Athletic Association commissioner Tom Yeager said yesterday.

    It’s seemingly bittersweet for the Dukes, as they know what lies ahead in their path, but they’re confident about their shots at re-writing the history books.

   “We have nothing to lose,” Nation said. “We can’t make many mistakes, but we have nothing to lose.”

   As David prepares for an attempt to slay Goliath, the Dukes remain as relaxed as possible in an experience they’ll never forget.

   “Doing what we love to do,” Nation said of this week. “We’re not going to change the way we act just because we’re in the NCAA tournament. We are who we are.”

   A win in last night’s game earned JMU and the conference $1.5 million dollars Yeager said.

   Indiana features some of the best talent in the nation and JMU will have to counter this if they intend to hang with the Hoosiers. Size will be a huge factor in the game. While JMU doesn’t have much, IU has plenty. The Dukes will be without redshirt senior Gene Swindle who has a possibly torn meniscus, according to Brady. Swindle is their biggest player, but not the best. It won’t be a huge blow to JMU. They will have to counter the size deficit how they’ve done so all year and that’s with speed and defense. JMU’s multi-guard lineups could disrupt a slower and more fundamentally sound Indiana squad.

   Last night’s game inside the University of Dayton Arena was played in front of 12,027, the largest crowd the Dukes have played before all season.

   So how much more noise can this team make in the NCAA tournament?

   “Tune in Friday,” Nation and Cooke both said.

   Indeed, tune in Friday as JMU takes on top-seeded Indiana at 4:10 p.m.