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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Maryland’s Greivis Vasquez, Duke’s Jon Scheyer and Virginia Tech’s Malcolm Delaney - the top three scorers in the Atlantic Coast Conference - are unanimous All-ACC picks.
Vasquez, Scheyer and Delaney were first-team selections on all 53 votes in ballots cast by members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. Clemson’s Trevor Booker and Duke’s Kyle Singler rounded out the first team in results released Monday.
The Blue Devils, who earned the top seed in this week’s tournament, also had a second-team pick in high-scoring guard Nolan Smith, making them the only program with three players selected to the 15-player squad.
Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and Florida State each had two players selected to the three teams, while North Carolina failed to have a player earn all-conference honors for the first time in league history.
Vasquez was a two-time second-team pick before averaging 19.6 points and a league-best 6.3 assists to help the Terrapins share the regular-season title with the Blue Devils. Scheyer averaged nearly 19 points, while Delaney led the league at about 21 points per game.
Wake Forest’s Al-Farouq Aminu led the second team after tallying 18 double-doubles, while senior teammate Ishmael Smith also earned second-team honors. Rounding out the second team were Smith and Virginia’s Sylven Landesberg - last year’s rookie of the year who recently was suspended for the rest of the season because of academics issues - and North Carolina State big man Tracy Smith.
The third team included Georgia Tech’s Gani Lawal, Virginia Tech’s Dorenzo Hudson, Florida State’s Chris Singleton and Solomon Alabi and Boston College’s Joe Trapani.
Singleton and Alabi were the leading vote-getters on the league’s all-defensive team, with Singleton leading the ACC in steals and Alabi leading the league in blocks to help the Seminoles clinch the No. 3 seed at this week’s tournament. Booker, Duke’s Lance Thomas and Wake Forest’s L.D. Williams also made the defensive team.
Georgia Tech’s Derrick Favors led the all-rookie team after ranking third in the league in rebounding (8.4). Maryland’s Jordan Williams, Miami’s Durand Scott, Wake Forest’s C.J. Harris and Florida State’s Michael Snaer rounded out the rookie team.
DURHAM, N.C. (AP)—Kyle Singler scored 19 of his 25 points in the decisive first half and No. 4 Duke routed North Carolina 82-50 on Saturday night.
Jon Scheyer had 20 points in his final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium for the Blue Devils (26-5, 13-3), who earned their most lopsided home win over their fiercest rival.
They shot nearly 46 percent—51 percent in a dominant first half—and made eight 3-pointers in beating North Carolina at home for the first time since 2005. Duke clinched a share of its 12th Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title and wrapped up the No. 1 seed in next week’s league tournament.
Freshman John Henson matched a season high with 14 points for the Tar Heels (16-15, 5-11). They endured their worst loss in seven years and had their lowest point total under coach Roy Williams.
Nolan Smith scored 20 points and Brian Zoubek added 13 rebounds for the Blue Devils. They took command with an early 31-8 run, led by 30 in the first half and showed no mercy in polishing off their first sweep of North Carolina since 2004.
In some ways, this result was like so many others here this season. In setting a school record by finishing 17-0 at Cameron, Duke won all but one home game by double figures, and it entered with an average margin of victory here of 26 points. Just as they’ve done all year, the Blue Devils pounced early and never let up on their overmatched visitor, no matter who that opponent was.
But of course, for the Blue Devils, this one meant so much more—especially after the Tar Heels won their last four visits. North Carolina is the only visiting team in three full years to beat Mike Krzyzewski on the court that bears his nickname, and following last year’s victory, some players flashed four fingers as they walked off the floor to mark their fourth win in a row at Cameron.
Already stewing from those defeats—and this week’s loss at Maryland that kept them from clinching an outright ACC regular-season title—Duke’s “Big Three” made certain from the jump that there wouldn’t be a fifth.
In the process, they made the opening half feel like a 20-minute-long burst by the Blue Devils.
Scheyer, Singler and Smith knocked down 3s on three straight trips downcourt to start the overwhelming run that put the Blue Devils in command. That spurt was so one-sided that by the time it ended, Duke had two players—Singler (12) and Smith (10)—who had outscored the Tar Heels (9).
The Blue Devils went up by double figures to stay 6 1/2 minutes into the game, stretched the margin to 20 on Smith’s three-point play midway through the half and made it a 30-point game on Smith’s free throw in the final minute of the half.
The only question in the second half was whether Duke would administer its most lopsided beating in the history of college basketball’s fiercest rivalry: Ultimately, the Blue Devils fell shy of the 35-point drubbing they handed North Carolina in 1964.
Still, it was the Tar Heels’ worst loss since a 96-56 loss at Maryland in 2003, and their fewest points since a 60-48 loss to Duke in the 2002 ACC tournament.
The famous faces—Christian Laettner, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart—turned out for this one, and so did someone else who’d still be anonymous except for one incident a few months ago: Brian King, the Presbyterian College fan who was tossed from North Carolina’s arena for heckling Deon Thompson during a free-throw attempt.
King, who told The Associated Press that he grew up a Duke fan, said he was invited by a group of Cameron Crazies and showed up—wearing a Presbyterian T-shirt, no less—because he thought things had cooled off enough after the much-publicized flap 8 miles down the road at the Smith Center.
Thompson finished with 11 points for the Tar Heels, who were serenaded by chants of “NIT” throughout and played without freshman guard Leslie McDonald after team officials said he strained his right hamstring during Friday’s practice.
Vasquez scored 20 points, including a clutch basket with 37 seconds left, and Maryland (No. 23 ESPN/USA Today, No. 22 AP) beat fourth-ranked Duke 79-72 Wednesday night to move into a tie with the Blue Devils atop the Atlantic Coast Conference standings.
It was the final home game for Vasquez, who was honored with seniors Landon Milbourne and Eric Hayes before the game.
Afterward, all three were mobbed with their teammates as fans rushed the court to celebrate Maryland's first win over Duke in seven tries.
Jordan Williams had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Terrapins (22-7, 12-3), who have won six straight since losing by 21 at Duke on Feb. 13.
Nolan Smith scored 20 for Duke (25-5, 12-3) and Jon Scheyer had 19. The defeat ended the Blue Devils' eight-game winning streak.
Both teams have one game left in the regular season. Maryland travels to Virginia on Saturday, and Duke hosts North Carolina.
Duke center Brian Zoubek, who had 16 points and 17 rebounds in Duke's earlier win over Maryland, finished with four points and 13 boards.
The final minutes featured several outstanding shots, each one more important than the last.
Scheyer hit a 3-pointer to put Duke up 63-60 with 5:25 to go, and Vasquez tied it with a jumper from beyond the arc. Scheyer then scored on a drive, but Maryland answered with a hook shot in the lane from Adrian Bowie and a fadeaway jumper by Vasquez.
It was 69-all before Williams scored on a follow. Then, after Duke missed twice, Vasquez tucked the ball to his chest and bulled his way to the basket before launching a shot that dropped through the net, making it 73-69.
Sean Mosley added two free throws with 26.2 seconds left.
Maryland finished unbeaten at home in the ACC and 15-1 overall.
After an emotional ceremony for the seniors, the Terrapins thrilled the sellout crowd by getting off to a sizzling start.
Maryland led 7-0, 19-7 and 33-19 before Duke settled down. The Blue Devils took their first lead when Scheyer opened the second half with a 3 to make it 41-40.
Duke led 47-44 before Williams made a three-point play, Bowie scored on a drive and Milbourne added a dunk. After a layup by Scheyer, Bowie connected from long range to put the Terps up 54-49.
But Smith hit a tough baseline jumper and then converted a three-point play to tie it with 9:11 left, and after a series of misses by both teams, Smith's driving layup put Duke back in front.
The lead went back and forth until Maryland's closing 10-3 burst.
The Blue Devils ended the first half with a 19-7 run to get within 40-38.
Duke missed its first six shots and fell behind 7-0 before a tip-in by Zoubek ended the drought. Milbourne followed with a 3-pointer, but he picked up his second foul on Maryland's next possession and was forced to take a seat on the bench.
The Blue Devils were 1 for 8 and trailed 10-2 when officials noticed a snag in the net and replaced it. Kyle Singler promptly drilled a 3 before a reverse layup by Hayes and a three-point play by Williams -- off a no-look pass from Vasquez -- sparked an 11-3 run that made it 21-8.
At that point, Scheyer, Singler and Smith were a collective 1 for 9.
The trio accounted for Duke's next four baskets, and a layup by Zoubek got the Blue Devils to 25-19. Mosley then hit a jumper for Maryland, and successive 3-pointers by Hayes and Mosley boosted the margin to 14.
It was 40-29 before Duke ended the half with a three-point play by Singler and 3-pointers by Smith and Scheyer.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Kyle Singler scored 21 points as No. 5 Duke beat shorthanded Virginia 67-49 on Sunday night.
The Blue Devils (25-4, 12-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) remained a game ahead of Maryland heading into a first-place showdown with the Terps in College Park, Md., on Wednesday night.
Fast Facts
• Kyle Singler scored 15 of his 21 points in the first half, and Jon Scheyer added 20 as the Blue Devils started th game on a 20-4 run and coasted to their eighth straight win.
• Duke now holds a one-game lead in the ACC over Maryland heading into their clash in College Park, Md., on Wednesday.
• Virginia played without its leading scorer, Sylven Landesberg, who was sidelined with a thigh injury.
• Jerome Meyinsse (21 points) was the only Cavaliers player in double figures as Duke held them to just 31.4 percent shooting from the floor.
Jon Scheyer added 20 points for Duke in its eight straight win and fourth consecutive victory in the series.
The Blue Devils took command right away, opening the game on a 20-4 run. Singler had 11 points before Virginia had two field goals, and from there the Cavaliers never got closer than 10. They trailed 35-21 at halftime and went 5 minutes without a field goal after the break.
The Cavaliers (14-13, 5-9) lost their seventh straight playing without scoring leader Sylven Landesberg, who sustained a bruised right thigh in Virginia's loss at Miami last week.
Jerome Meyinsse scored 21 points for Virginia, seven more than his previous career best, but was the only Cavaliers player to make up for Landesberg's missing points. Mike Scott, the Cavaliers' No. 2 scorer with a 12.8 average, went scoreless for a second straight game, with 0-for-6 shooting in 12 minutes.
Singler and Scheyer had an easy time offensively. Singler finished 6 for 10 from the field and Scheyer was 8 for 14, and both watched for the last several minutes as Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and Virginia coach Tony Bennett emptied their benches.
Duke will travel to Charlottesville tomorrow in preparation for Sunday's game with Virginia. The Cavaliers started fast, but have fell on hard times of late as they are on a current 6 game losing streak.They are 14-12 overall and 5-8 in the conference. Coach Tony Bennett is in his first season after three very successfule years at Washington State. Bennett will start an experienced line up, but his best player Sylven Landesberg is a sophomore who leads the team in scoring, asssits and is second in rebounding.
The Cavaliers average 67.0 points a game and give 63.2. They shoot 42.9% from the field and allow 43.8%. They shoot 35.8% from three on 5.9 made and give up 35.3% on 5.9 made per game. they out rebound their opponents by 1.5 per game commit 10.7 turnovers while forcing 12.5.
Notes: The game is scheduled for 7:45 pm and will be televised on FSN.
DURHAM, N.C. -- Mike Krzyzewski wanted a pre-tournament test for his Duke players. For perhaps longer than expected, they got one.
But ultimately, the fifth-ranked Blue Devils -- and their "Big Three," plus one -- was too much for Tulsa, pulling away for a 70-52 victory Thursday night.
They used a big run early in the second half to break open a surprisingly tight game and extend their decade-long nonconference winning streak at Cameron Indoor Stadium to 77 by winning an out-of-the-ACC matchup designed to prepare the Blue Devils for the unfamiliar but high-quality foes that figure to lurk in the NCAA tournament bracket.
"We've got to keep getting better, and you don't get better by taking time off," Krzyzewski said. "Right now, you've got to keep working, and we knew that this game would put us in that position."
Jerome Jordan had 12 points to lead the Golden Hurricane (19-9). In losing their fourth straight, they finished with a season-low point total and were denied their first victory against a top-five team since 1996. Leading scorer Ben Uzoh, who entered on a streak of three straight 20-point games, finished with eight on 3-of-15 shooting while being hounded primarily by Smith.
"You knew they would be prepared for Ben, for the most part," Tulsa coach Doug Wojcik said. "He competed, missed a couple shots on the break. In our league, he probably gets a few more trips to the free-throw line, but it's good for him."
Brian Zoubek, a 7-foot-1 senior, has stepped out of the shadow of the Scheyer-Smith-Singler trio lately to become one of the most valuable players for the Atlantic Coast Conference leaders. He finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds, and started the game-breaking 18-3 run with a layup through the 7-foot Jordan's foul with 19:05 remaining.
"He isn't the athlete Jordan is, but [Zoubek] is strong," Krzyzewski said of the dueling 7-footers. "I was just happy that he held his own against Jordan. ... No one won that matchup, but we didn't lose it, so that was kind of a win for us."
Smith then reeled off six straight points and Scheyer scored eight in a row before Miles Plumlee hit a hook shot to make it 52-37 with 13 1/2 minutes left.
That had the Blue Devils well on their way to their 18th straight win at Cameron. They have won 41 straight at home against unranked opponents, they are 16-0 there this season with all but one of those victories by double figures, and Friday makes it 10 years since St. John's became the last non-ACC team to beat them on their home court.
Justin Hurtt added 11 points for the Golden Hurricane and tied it at 34 with a free throw with 19:20 to play, but they missed 6 of 7 shots after that while turning it over three times during Duke's decisive spurt.
Steven Idlet had 10 points for Tulsa, which finished 1 of 10 from 3-point range and shot 26 percent from the field during the second half.
"I thought we had some shots inside that we just didn't convert," Wojcik said. "But I'm just really proud of my team. I'm glad to have played the game and have the experience. We're going to get better from this."
Lance Thomas had 10 rebounds while his post partner Zoubek reached double figures for the third time in four games.
"I think that everybody has a lot more confidence in me right now -- offensively, defensively and all over the court," Zoubek said.
The Golden Hurricane kept themselves within striking distance through the first half, never allowing Duke to lead by more than 10 points and clawing back to tie it at 28 on Bryson Pope's layup 3 minutes before the break. That, despite a miserable start to the half by their top player: Uzoh missed eight of his first 10 shots.
"He's a very good player, and I was ready for the task tonight," Smith said. "Going forward, (in the) NCAA tournament, we're going to run into a lot of good guards and that's why I know this game ... really simulated the NCAA tournament games. Playing a guard like him, you've got to be ready."
Wojcik was no stranger to Duke's hostile arena: He was on Matt Doherty's staff at rival North Carolina from 2000-03, and those teams went 1-2 at Cameron. But ultimately, that familiarity couldn't help the Golden Hurricane claim the program's third victory against a top-five team and first since knocking off then-No. 5 UCLA in 1996.
Doug Wojcik will be returning to familiar territory when he brings his 19-8, 8-5(Conference USA) Tulsa Golden Hurricanes to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Thursday night. The former North Carolina and Michigan State assistant coached in Cameron with both schools and was 1-3 in Cameron. Wojcik is in his 5th year at Tulsa and he sports a 100-61 record. The Hurricanes have been good all year until a recent slide where they have lost 4 of 5, that includes a current 3 game losing streak.
The Golden Hurricanes will bring a big veteran team to Durham. They will start three seniors,a junior and a sophomore. Here are the starters and key reserves.
6-3 SR. Ben Uzoh 16.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists
7-0 Sr. Jerome Jordan 15.2 points, 8.6 rebounds
6-4 Jr. Justin Hurtt 13.8 points, 3.3 rebounds
6-7 Soph. Joe Richard 5.9 points, 5.6 rebounds
6-6 Sr. Bishop Wheatley 5.6 points, 3.7 rebounds
6-10 Soph. Steven Idlet 7.0 points, 6.1 rebounds
6-1 Fr. Donte Medder 5.0 points
6-6 Fr. Bryson Pope 4.3 points
Tulsa averages 72.7 points a game and gives up 64.3 per game. They shoot 46.1% from the field and hold their opponents to 39.5%. They shoot 35.6% from three on 5.1 made and relinquish 31.0% on 4.6 made per game. They are out rebounding their opponents by 7.7 and are committing 13.3 turnovers, while forcing 10.4.
Notes: The game will be televised on ESPN 2 at 7pm. The Golden Hurricanes are 4-4 on the road and currently have a RPI of 75, with a schedule strength of 114.
DURHAM, N.C. (AP)—The “Big Three” kept things clicking for No. 6 Duke. They had to, because they got virtually no scoring help from their teammates.
Kyle Singler had 25 points and 10 rebounds and Nolan Smith added 23 points to help the Blue Devils pull away in a 67-55 victory over Virginia Tech on Sunday night.
Jon Scheyer had 15 points for Duke (23-4, 11-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), which got only four points from the other six players who saw the court and flirted with their worst shooting performance of the season.
Still, they came up with a late 14-4 run to overcome their only deficit of the second half and earn their sixth straight victory. Duke strengthened its grip on first place in the league standings and keep itself on track for another high seed in the NCAA tournament.
To coach Mike Krzyzewski, nothing else matters.
“I’d like to have other people score—that’s an obvious thing—but what I want to do is win, and not let (a lack of) scoring impact in a negative way … our defense and rebounding,” Krzyzewski said. “One of these games, we’re just going to break out. … Those three players are really good. As long as they keep playing well, you’ve got to go with what you’ve got, right?”
Malcolm Delaney, the ACC’s leading scorer, finished with 19 points for Virginia Tech (21-5, 8-4), which fell to 1-17 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. His 3-pointer capped a 13-5 run and put the Hokies up 45-44 with 9:55 left.
Smith followed with a three-point play roughly 30 seconds later and scored seven points during the decisive burst that followed. Scheyer finished the spurt with a 3 that made it 60-49 with 4:15 to play. Tech didn’t get closer than six after that.
“Our kids competed at a high level, but that’s not what we came here for,” Hokies coach Seth Greenberg said. “We’re at the stage of our program now where being competitive is not good enough. It’s about winning, and playing to win.”
Outside of the Singler-Smith-Scheyer trio, the only other Duke players to score were Miles Plumlee, who hit a free throw with 13:29 left in the first half, and 7-foot-1 Brian Zoubek, who converted a critical three-point play with 7:12 to play.
“Nothing really needs to change. Guys are going to get shots,” Singler said. “But it’s just kind of how it happened tonight.”
Zoubek finished with 16 rebounds for the Blue Devils, who ran their winning streak at Cameron to 17. They’re 15-0 here this season, with 14 wins coming by double figures and 11 by at least 20 points.
This one featured the ACC’s top two scorers, with Delaney averaging roughly 20 points and Scheyer scoring 19 per game. But both players had trouble hitting with consistency in a physical game marked by rough defense.
In what Krzyzewski called “an overall decent performance against Delaney,” the Tech guard shot just 5 of 19 and missed nine of his first 10 attempts for the Hokies, who were 2 for 15 from 3-point range.
Scheyer was 4 for 19 for the Blue Devils, who shot 29 percent. Had Smith and Singler not swished 3s in the final minute, they would have finished worse than their 28-percent outing three months ago against Connecticut.
“Our offense, at times, hasn’t been good this year, and the one thing we do know is that we’re not an unbelievable offensive team where we’re just going to put 90 points up,” Scheyer said. “We know we need to do it with our defense. That’s OK if, at times, our offense isn’t going well because we rely on our defense.”
Dorenzo Hudson added 12 points for the Hokies, who had their five-game ACC winning streak snapped, a run that was their longest since joining the league. They were trying to beat North Carolina and Duke in the same season for the first time since 2007—also the last time they reached the NCAA tournament.
“We knew it was going to be a battle,” Hudson said. “We just didn’t make the shots we needed to.”
Both teams entered this one with more than 20 wins, but they got there in vastly different ways. One online replication of the RPI formula determined that the Blue Devils played the nation’s third-toughest schedule while Tech’s was at No. 152.
The way the Hokies kept attacking Duke, that didn’t seem to matter.
The Blue Devils’ offense came almost exclusively from Scheyer, Singler and Smith, who combined for all but one of the team’s 35 first-half points, with each cracking double figures by halftime.
“Honestly, we’ve showed this year that we can shoot bad. It’s going to happen,” Smith said. “Most years, we might lose those games. We might let that affect our defense or rebounding. But now, we’re not letting that happen.”
Seth Greenberg of Virginia Tech is bringing to Durham arguably his best team ever on Sunday night, hoping to tie Duke in the lost column for the lead of ACC. Greenberg is 128-89 in his 7th year at Blacksburg. The Hokies are very experienced, but they do not have a senior in their rotation. They start four juniors and a sophomore.
Here are the starters and key reserves.
6-3 Jr. Malcolm Delaney 20.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists
6-5 Jr. Dorenzo Hudson 14.0 points, 3.5 rebounds
6-7 Jr. Jeff Allen 11.4 points, 7.2 rebounds
6-6 Jr. Terrell Bell 5.9 points, 5.9 rebounds
6-8 Soph. Victor Davila 5.8 points, 4.6 rebounds
6-6 Jr. J.T. Thompson 7.0 points, 4.6 rebounds
6-4 Fr. Erick Green 3.4 points
The Hokies average 72.6 points and give up 62.9. They shoot 42.9% from the field and hold their opponents to 39.2%. They shoot 31.7% from three on 4.7 made and hold their opponents to 29.1% on 5.0 made per game. They out rebound their opponents by 2.9 per game and commit 12.6 turnovers, while forcing 16.2.
Notes: The game is scheduled for 7:45 and will be televised on FSN.
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP)—Mike Krzyzewski claimed his halftime pep talk had nothing to do with Duke’s dramatic turnaround Wednesday night.
“I don’t even remember what I said,” Krzyzewski said. “Nothing complimentary.”
At the time, there was little to praise. The No. 6-ranked Blue Devils dug a 12-point halftime hole, then used smothering defense to rally and beat the Miami Hurricanes 81-74.
Jon Scheyer missed his first nine shots and Nolan Smith missed his first six for the Blue Devils, who shot 31 percent in the opening half to fall behind 37-25. But 22 turnovers doomed the Hurricanes, who attempted only 45 shots to 60 for the Blue Devils.
“In the second half our defense, especially in the first eight or nine minutes, was sensational,” Krzyzewski said.
Better shooting helped, too. Scheyer, Smith and Kyle Singler combined for 49 points in the second half after totaling nine in the first half.
The Blue Devils (22-4, 10-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) increased their league lead with their fifth win in a row. Smith said Krzyzewski made reference to the standings at halftime.
“He called us out,” Smith said. “He let us know, ‘It’s now or never. You can take control of the ACC right now or put ourselves in a hole.”’
Miami (17-9, 3-9) lost for only the second time in 13 home games, and the defeat ensured they’ll finish below .500 in the league. They’ve never been better than 8-8 in the ACC.
“As long as we’ve got games on our schedule, we’ve got opportunities,” coach Frank Haith said.
The way the Hurricanes started against Duke, they had a shot at an upset. But the Blue Devils outscored Miami 29-9 to start the second half and shot 9 for 15 from 3-point range after halftime.
“We just needed to come out and play angry,” Duke center Brian Zoubek said. “We know we can play harder than anybody.”
Despite starting poorly, Smith finished with 21 points, and Scheyer scored 15 while shooting 3 for 15. Singler scored 22, had 11 rebounds and played all 40 minutes.
“In the first half we did a great job on the big three,” Haith said. “They all just completely took over the game in the second half.”
Scheyer was 1 for 12 before sinking 3-pointers on consecutive possessions for a 64-59 lead with five minutes left.
“I was killing us by not hitting those open shots,” Scheyer said. “I don’t really get open shots like that in games. My teammates have confidence in me, and that made a big difference.”
Krzyzewski said Scheyer has been playing for three weeks with a sore back that may have affected him. Singler played with a black eye after getting elbowed in practice Monday.
Smith’s 3-pointer capped an 8-0 run that put the Blue Devils up 69-59, and the margin was at least five the rest of the way. Duke went 9 for 10 from the free-throw line in the final 90 seconds to seal the win.
Dwayne Collins had 21 points and nine rebounds for Miami, and Durand Scott scored 19 points.
The Blue Devils scored 56 points in the second half—remarkable considering that in the first 12 minutes, they shot 4 for 19 with seven turnovers and fell behind 23-12.
Smith was shut out for the first 18 1/2 minutes. Scheyer struggled even longer, finally scoring 24 minutes into the game to pull Duke even at 39.
Duke missed nine of its first 11 shots, and Miami scored 11 consecutive points—eight by Collins—for a 15-6 lead. Scott sank a runner at the buzzer to end the half and give the Hurricanes their largest lead.
Then the Blue Devils cranked up the defensive pressure.
“We knew we had to get stops to get back in the game,” Singler said. “That was our focus—just get stops and just try to fight our way back into the game.”
Singler scored nine points on four baskets in the first 2 1/2 minutes of the second half to trim the margin to five, and his 3-pointer gave the Blue Devils their first lead since the early minutes at 42-41.
On next possession, Smith’s 3-pointer put Duke ahead to stay.
The Hurricanes were outscored by 27 points from 3-point range, and Duke enjoyed a 17-11 edge in offensive rebounds.
