JMU to the dance

   A statement was made. JMU punched a ticket to the NCAA tournament Monday night with a dominating win over Northeastern, 70-57. It’s an accomplishment that’s been 19 years in the making.

   “We made a statement tonight,” redshirt senior Devon Moore said sporting one of the nets as a medal of honor around his neck.

   With 17:47 remaining in the first half, the game was knotted 5-5, JMU in a NASA style, took off into space and didn’t look back. The Dukes finished the first half on a 35-13 run and went into the locker room with a 22-point cushion, their largest of the night. To this point the team had only led five opponents all year by 20 or more.

   “I don’t know if we could’ve played a better first half,” coach Matt Brady said.

   In the first half alone, JMU had two players in double figures. Redshirt seniors A.J. Davis (17) and Rayahawn Goins (13) both sored in the first half. Goins had 10 rebounds at the break to give him a double-double in the first 20 minutes.  

   “We had to attack,” Brady said of Monday’s game plan. 

   Northeastern was down by as many as 24 points on Sunday to George Mason and they were able to come back and win.

   “We told our guys we can’t let down.” This was the message at halftime from Brady to the bunch.

   Goins, Davis, and Moore were all awarded for their outstanding tournament performances throughout the weekend. Goins and Moore were placed on the All-CAA tournament team while Davis took home tournament MVP. Davis finished Monday night with a game high 26 points giving him 62 total points in just three games. For Davis, it’s a far step from his December 1, 48 hour suspension because of his attitude.

   “Coach put me in the right positions from time in and time out and my teammates believed in me,” Davis said. “They just told me to perform.”

   “What he did with his decision to be a part of something bigger than himself is the most unique in my years coaching or playing,” Brady said of Davis.

   Goins was the MVP of the game Monday night for the Dukes. His stellar performance (14 points, 13 rebounds) came at the ideal time for the Brady bunch.

   “Ray hasn’t had the best last two weeks, but you see what he can do,” Brady said.

   JMU’s second half was a bit stagnant at time, but the outstanding start to the game helped cushion the Dukes and prevent any NU comeback. The Huskies got it within eight at the 8:23 mark, but could not get any closer to the emotionally charged JMU squad.

   “When you have all of those purple shirts up there, it really did help pull us through in one or two spots there in the second half,” Brady said. “Our seniors just kept making plays, making plays at the rim.”

   Purple dominated Monday’s crowd of 6,038 that predominantly came out to support the Dukes.

   It did, however get iffy at times with less than ten minutes remaining. The Dukes looked like they wanted to renege their tournament invitation they seemingly earned in the first half alone.

   “We had a big enough cushion to where we could afford it and we played through our mistakes,” Brady added. “We haven’t been in many games where we’ve controlled it right down to the last two minutes. If you’ve followed our scores, there haven’t been many where with 1:30 to go, we’re not hanging on every bounce of the ball.”

   For JMU, this is there second CAA championship, the other coming way back in 1994. The Dukes will have to dust off their dancing shoes and maybe buy some lessons because after 19 years, anyone might need some practice.

   “This has been a five year journey,” Brady said. “And I could not be more proud of how the seniors have conducted themselves, represented the university, and all the pride they brought back to our basketball program.”

   Six JMU seniors now will get to make extend their careers and write a new chapter known as ‘March Madness.’

   “Like LeBron James said when he won his first championship, it’s about damn time,” Goins said. “It’s been 19 years since JMU nation won the championship, words can’t describe the feeling.”

   The team will now look ahead to Sunday evening to see who they are paired up with. All that matters though is they’re invited and the ceiling for JMU basketball just got raised, a lot.

   “We have a lot more to go,” Moore said. “We don’t just want to show a team that we made it. We’re trying to go to it and have fun and prove we can play with some of the top teams.”

   The win and means a great deal to Moore, who has been with the team the longest of any player and has seen it all.

   “We have a lot more to go,” Moore said. “We don’t just want to show a team that we made it. We’re trying to go to it and have fun and prove we can play with some of the top teams.”

   Moore has also been going through family troubles back home in Columbus. In October his mother was diagnosed with brain cancer, so while he has been leading the Dukes all season, he has also had his mind back home with his family.

   “It’s amazing,” Moore said. “Just to get everything going after five years, all the injuries, and to finally come out on top.

   The win definitely came as a way to pay tribute to his mom and his family that got him to where he is today.

   “I’m going to give all the thanks to God and my mom. She put me through everything that she could for me to be here,” Moore said. “This is definitely for her.”

   If there was any doubt about Brady being with this team next season, Monday night really helped lobby for an extension. He sat in the exact same seat in Richmond last season making a case of why he should stay to finish out his fifth year of a five-year contract. This year he talks to the media surrounding his teams voyage into the NCAA tournament. In the meantime the Dukes still have some more business to take care of before any contracts are renewed.

   “I know it’s not over for us,” Moore said. “We have a lot more things to accomplish.”

     “I’m going to follow these guys wherever they take our basketball team,” Brady said. “We’re certainly excited about the next part of our journey and March is a crazy month.”