Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
©Associated Press
© St. Petersburg Times, published February 5, 2001
DURHAM, N.C. -- No. 2 Duke seemed a little tired Sunday, but it didn't matter.
Carlos Boozer scored 23 and Shane Battier 21 as the Blue Devils rebounded from a loss to North Carolina by beating Florida State 100-58.
"It was a strange feeling, you looked at the fans and even they were exhausted," senior Nate James said of the Cameron Crazies, worn out from Thursday's loss. "There was so much emotion in that North Carolina game, we walked onto the court today and said, 'Wow, we really have to play well because we owe it to the fans and we owe it to each other.' "
The victory gave the Blue Devils their 16th 20-win season in the past 18 years under Mike Krzyzewski and kept them one game behind the Tar Heels in the race for the ACC regular-season title.
Mike Dunleavy added 18 points for Duke, but Jason Williams, who had averaged 24.4 points in his previous 15 games, was held to a season-low eight with 10 assists and six steals.
"The main thing I'm starting to do is take what the game gives you," Williams said.
It appeared Duke worked on its free-throw shooting after missing 14 of 27 against the Tar Heels. The Blue Devils were 8-for-8 in the first half and finished 25-for-32.
"We came out the other day in practice and we were making every free throw," Williams said. "It was really annoying. That's basketball for you. It's the way you play through adversity that you really find out the team that you are."
The Seminoles fell to 0-8 this season against ranked teams and have lost 13 straight to the Blue Devils. Florida State matched a season high with 21 turnovers.
"We have a few moments where we do some good things, but you can't have a few moments," Florida State coach Steve Robinson said. "You've got to have about 40 minutes of good basketball if you expect to come out of here with a victory."
Reserve Monte Cummings led the Seminoles with 13 points.
Duke led by four against the last place team in the ACC with 5:27 left in the first half before Battier sparked the Blue Devils with 10 points on a pair of three-pointers and two layups.
The Blue Devils closed the half with an 18-5 run for a 17-point lead.
The Seminoles fell apart against Duke's pressure early in the second half, turning it over five times in the first three minutes as the Blue Devils used a 15-4 run to go up by 28.
Duke also scored 21 straight late in the second half as the Seminoles missed 11 straight shots.
Williams, a sophomore, said he intends to stay four years at Duke. "People kept coming up to me asking about it. I can see how that can break teams apart in a way," he said.
NO. 9 MARYLAND 69, CLEMSON 54: Terence Morris scored 18, including three clutch baskets down the stretch, as host Maryland snapped a two-game skid. It was the Terrapins' seventh straight win over Clemson, which has lost six straight.
The Tigers shot 31 percent and committed 18 turnovers.
Clemson used a 13-3 run to close to 54-50 with 6:14 left before Morris made a layup, a 15-footer and follow-dunk to put Maryland up by 10 with 3:40 left.