DAYTON, Ohio (AP) - Arkansas-Pine Bluff finally found a road trip to its liking.
Allen Smith scored 14 points Tuesday night, including a pair of 3-pointers during the Golden Lions' second-half surge to a 61-44 victory over Winthrop in the NCAA tournament's opening game.
The Golden Lions (18-15) will play Duke - the No. 1 seed in the West - on Friday in Jacksonville, Fla., a stunning development given how their season started. Arkansas-Pine Bluff lost its first 11 games - all on the road - before rallying to earn the Southwestern Athletic Conference title and its first NCAA tournament berth.
The fast exit was familiar for Winthrop (19-14), which has made the tournament nine times in the last 12 years but has only one victory in all those tries.
