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DURHAM, N.C. (AP) -- After an eight-day layoff and a showdown
with Kentucky just two days away, top-ranked Duke could have easily
had a letdown against North Carolina A&T.
Not a chance.
Jason Williams hit six 3-pointers and scored all 18 of his
points in the first half and Duke put away North Carolina A&T early
in a 93-51 victory Sunday.
Duke (9-0), which hadn't played since beating Michigan 104-83 on
Dec. 8, extended its winning streak to 19 games, the longest in the
nation. The Blue Devils scored the first 11 points of the game and
built the lead to 21 midway through the first half.
"I think every team wants to knock us off, but we're not going
to let that happen," said Chris Duhon, who had 13 points and six
assists. "We like being on top and we're going to fight for every
inch to stay there."
Williams, who hit seven 3-pointers and had a career-high 35
points against Michigan, was 6-for-8 from 3-point range in the
first half. After he outscored North Carolina A&T 18-11 midway
through the first half, the crowd started chanting "Jason's
winning!"
Williams finished 6-for-10 from 3-point range and had five
steals. He is 19-of-37 from 3-point range over the last three games
after going 1-for-16 in the previous three.
Williams played just eight minutes in the second half after
straining his groin, but said he will ready when the Blue Devils
face Kentucky (No. 10 ESPN/USA Today, No. 9 AP) in the Jimmy V Classic on Tuesday.
"I'll be OK," Williams said. "It hurts, but I'll be ready to
go against Kentucky."
Duke, which tied an Atlantic Coast Conference record with 18
3-pointers against North Carolina A&T last year, was 10-for-28 from
long range. The Blue Devils held North Carolina A&T to 26 percent
shooting, the fifth time in the last seven games their opponent
shot under 40 percent.
North Carolina A&T (1-7) didn't have a field goal until Anthony
Debro hit a 3-pointer 4:58 in, but matched baskets with the Blue
Devils for the next three minutes to stay within nine points.
Williams took over from there, hitting four 3-pointers during a
14-2 run that made it 32-11 with 8:24 left.
The game got so one-sided in the first half that the "Cameron
Crazies", known for their raucous support of the Blue Devils,
became more interested in watching pigeons fly around the rafters
than in the game.
"I learned something about my team tonight," North Carolina
A&T coach Curtis Hunter said. "I know certain guys who will dig
down and do what I need them to do and there are certain guys who
won't."
North Carolina A&T couldn't find Williams on the perimeter -- his
sixth 3-pointer was wide open in the corner -- and didn't have an
answer for Carlos Boozer inside.
Boozer had 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting and grabbed seven
rebounds in the first half. He finished with 18 points and 11
rebounds.
Dahntay Jones, known primarily for his defensive prowess and
athletic moves to the basket, scored in double figures for the
second straight game. He finished with 16 points, including two on
a tomahawk dunk that brought the crowd to its feet early in the
second half.
"Dahntay is becoming more efficient on offense and taking
what's there," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "Over the last
two games he's averaged 15 points a game and you don't know that _
he does it in a quiet way. I'm not saying that dunk was quiet, but
he doesn't have to take 15 shots to get 15 points."
Mike Dunleavy, Duke's second-leading scorer at 18 points a game,
had just two on 1-of-7 shooting. He turned his right ankle in the
first minute of the game and played just three minutes in the
second half, but Krzyzewski said he should be ready for Kentucky.
Duke contested nearly every shot and harassed North Carolina A&T
fullcourt throughout the first half. Bruce Jenkins had 13 points on
5-of-9 shooting in the half, but the rest of the Aggies were a
combined 2-for-20. Jenkins finished with 24 points.
North Carolina A&T was just 1-for-8 from 3-point range and had
14 turnovers as Duke built a 48-21 halftime lead. The Aggies were
2-for-11 overall from 3-point range.
"I never realized how young we were until you really start
talking about it," Hunter said. "I truly believe we're only as
good as our senior leadership, and I see that may not be the case
now either. It's a learning process."
Duke improved to 7-0 against North Carolina A&T and 16-0 against
the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Blue Devils are 26-2 in
December since 1997-98 and have not lost a home game in the month
since Michigan beat them in 1996.
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