DAYTON, Ohio - After winning the program's first NCAA tournament game in 30 years, James Madison sounds as if it's not done.
A.J. Davis, who stepped in as a starter because the leading scorer was suspended for a half, led the way with 20 points as the Dukes beat LIU Brooklyn 68-55 on Wednesday night in the First Four.
Immediately, their thoughts turned to top-seeded Indiana (27-6), who they'll play on the same University of Dayton Arena court Friday night.
"They're Indiana," defiant defensive stalwart Andre Nation said. "We know about them. We see them on the TV all the time. It's not nothing new."
He's not the only Duke who was undaunted.
"We have some older guys. They're typically pretty unafraid of any of the challenges we face," coach Matt Brady said.
James Madison was without suspended starter Rayshawn Goins for the first half but built a big lead. After the Blackbirds (20-14) battled back to take a brief lead, the Dukes surged again to win going away by closing the game on a 10-2 run.
Davis opened the game with an emphatic three as if to say this was his time. And he didn't let up.
"Coach said don't do anything outside of your character, just be humble and play your game," Davis said. "While Rayshawn was sitting out, a couple of guys came off the bench and stepped up for us."
Charles Cooke, who hadn't scored in three of his last four games, added 15 points and Nation added 14 for the Dukes, who were winless in the NCAA tournament since 1983 and hadn't played in the big dance in 19 years.
• La Salle 80, Boise State 71: In Dayton, Ohio, Tyrone Garland led La Salle's guard-driven offense with 22 points, and the Explorers wrapped up the NCAA tournament's First Four by getting the better of an old-fashioned shootout.
The 13th-seeded Explorers (22-9) will play fourth-seeded Kansas State on Friday in Kansas City.
Ramon Galloway, one of the Atlantic 10's top scorers, added 21 points in a fast-paced offense that did pretty much whatever it wanted. The Explorers shot a season-high 63 percent from the field - 16 of 22 in the second half.
Garland went 9 of 11 from the field - his best shooting game of the season - and the Explorers were 11 of 21 behind the arc.
Big East realignment
NEW YORK - The breakaway basketball schools kept the Big East name and the conference tournament in Madison Square Garden. In return, they left behind tens of millions of dollars to the football members.
That was easy to do with a lucrative television contract awaiting.
The new Big East launched as a 10-member league Wednesday with the additions of Butler, Creighton and Xavier.
The so-called Catholic 7 schools completed their exit from the Big East earlier this month. They'll start play with their three new colleagues in the fall.
Providence's president, the Rev. Brian Shanley, was a student at the college when its athletic director, Dave Gavitt, spearheaded the creation of the Big East in 1979. The conference's name was proposed by his father's marketing firm.
"This name is bold. This name is strong. This name is memorable," Shanley said. "That's why it's been important for us to keep that name and keep that legacy going."
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