JMU Tops Northeastern 70-57 To Win CAA MBB Title
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RICHMOND, Va. - A.J. Davis scored a game-high 26 points and
Rayshawn Goins had 14 points and 13 rebounds to lead James Madison to a 70-57
victory over Northeastern Monday in the title game of the 2013 Colonial
Athletic Association Men's Basketball Championship, presented by Jani-King, at
the Richmond Coliseum.
The third-seeded Dukes built a 22-point first-half lead,
withstood top-seeded Northeastern's second-half rally and pulled away again
during the final eight minutes.
James Madison (20-14), which won its first CAA championship since
1994 and second overall, advances to the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship for
the fifth time at the Division I level.
Northeastern, the CAA regular-season champion, fell to 20-12 and is assured
of a bid to the NIT. Monday's title game
appearance was JMU's first since 1997 and Northeastern's first since joining
the CAA in the 2005-06 season.
Davis, the tournament most outstanding player, hit on eight
of 13 shots from the field, including three of six from three-point range, and
also had seven rebounds. He scored 62
points on 21-of- 34 shooting and had 15 rebounds in three tournament
games. Goins, an all-tournament choice,
hit on six of 10 shots overall and had 13 points and 10 rebounds by halftime
when JMU led 40-18.
JMU shot 51.6 percent (16-31) and Northeastern only 20.8
percent (5-24) during the opening period, but the regular-season Huskies fought
back to within 51-43 with 8:23 to play.
Northeastern hit on 10 of its first 17 shots of the second half but had
only two more field goals until the final minute when JMU's lead had grown back
to 70-51. The Huskies had advanced to
the title game by rallying from a 24-point first-half deficit in Sunday's
semifinals against George Mason.
Freshman Andre Nation hit on three free throw attempts at
the 7:46 mark to raise JMU's lead to 54-43. Nation then had a dunk and Devon
Moore scored seven points as JMU upped its edge to 63-50 with 3:47 remaining. After Derrico Peck got Northeastern to within
63-51 with a free throw at the 3:39 mark, Davis hit on three of four free
throws and Ron Curry and Alioune Diouf had field goals for a 70-51 Dukes'
advantage with 2:11 left.
James Madison made five of its first seven shots from the
field and led 13-5 less than four minutes into the game and 20-5 with 12:27
left in the first half. The Dukes had
hit on nine of 16 shots from the field and Northeastern on but two of 13 by a
media timeout at the 9:50 mark of the half when they led 22-6. Davis had 17 first-half points, and JMU had a
22-14 first-half rebounding advantage.
Jonathan Lee led Northeastern with 14 points, all during the
second half and 10 during the period's first 6:04. The Huskies also got double-figure scoring
from David Walker and Marco Banegas-Flores with 10 points each. Lee, who had 14 points in Northeastern's
semifinal win, was named to the all-tournament team.
Nation was JMU's third double-figure scorer with 10 points,
and Moore had nine points and five assists.
Joining Davis, Goins and Lee on the all-tournament team was Moore,
who had 43 points and 19 assists in three games, Delaware's Jamelle Hagins and
George Mason's Bryon Allen.
CAA All-Tournament Team
A.J. Davis, James Madison, Most Valuable Player
Bryon Allen, George Mason
Rayshawn Goins, James Madison
Jamelle Hagins, Delaware
Jonathan Lee, Northeastern
Devon Moore, James Madison
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