NORMAN, Okla., Nov. 17, 2008 – Davidson scored the game’s first 11 points and went on to beat James Madison 99-64 Monday in the opening round of the Dick’s Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off.

Playing at the University of Oklahoma, the 20th-ranked Wildcats got 33 points from All-America guard Stephen Curry and shot 58.5 percent (38-65) from the field in downing JMU in the Dukes’ season-opener.

The victory raised Davidson’s record to 2-0 and sends the Wildcats into a Tuesday (Nov. 18) second-round Preseason NIT game against Oklahoma, a 94-53 winner over Mississippi Valley State in Monday's second game in Norman.  JMU will play Mississippi Valley State in a 6:30 p.m. second-round game Tuesday, and Oklahoma and Davidson will meet at 9:30 p.m. EST for the right to advance to third- and fourth-round Preseason NIT play at New York's Madison Square Garden next week.  The 12 Preseason NIT teams not advancing to New York will play third- and fourth-round games at campus sites next week. 

All-America guard Stephen Curry led Davidson against JMU Tuesday with a game-high 33 points on 14-of-19 shooting from the field.  He had four three-point field goals, nine assists and four steals.

Davidson hit on 10 of 25 three-point tries (40.0 percent), had a 41-28 rebounding edge and took advantage of 18 JMU turnovers while committing 10.

The Wildcats had six three-point field goals during the opening half and had a 50-30 lead at the break.

JMU, playing for the first time under first-year coach Matt Brady, got 21 points from freshman forward Julius Wells (Toledo, Ohio/Libbey), 12 points from senior forward Kyle Swanston (Spring Hill, Fla./Hernando), 10 points and 11 rebounds from senior forward Juwann James (Jacksonville, Fla./Raines), and nine points from freshman forward Andrey Semenov (St. Petersburg, Russia/Blue Ridge School).

Wells hit on seven of 17 shots, including three of six three-point attempts, in 23 minutes off the bench in his first college game.  Swanston had all of his points on three-point field goals (4-6), and Semenov hit on three of six shots, including his only three-point try.

JMU shot 35.0 percent (21-60) overall from the field and hit on nine of 19 three-point shots (47.4 percent).

Following Tuesday’s second-round game at Oklahoma, JMU will play its home-opener Friday (Nov. 21) at 7 p.m. against Kennesaw (Ga.) State.

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