|
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) -- Top-ranked Duke taught a team that is noted
for defense a thing or two about that phase of the game Wednesday
night.
|  | | Duke's Dahntay Jones lets out a yell after forcing a Temple turnover, while his coach, Mike Krzyzewski, didn't seem as excited. |
The Blue Devils (7-0) got 26 points from Jason Williams and 24
from Mike Dunleavy and played their best defensive game of the
season in an 82-57 victory over Temple.
Duke forced 17 turnovers and held the Owls (3-3) to 37.5 percent
shooting.
"We were more enthusiastic about playing defense," point guard
Chris Duhon said. "We wanted to go out and make a statement on the
defensive end and go out and attack. We haven't attacked for 40
minutes in the last few games, but today we made a big step in
getting to the team we want to become."
Temple's Lynn Greer, coming off a 47-point game against
Wisconsin two days ago, was hawked all night by Duhon or Dahntay
Jones and finished with 22 points on 8-for-23 shooting.
"Coach had confidence in me to try to slow him down and I took
that as a challenge," Duhon said. "I wanted to go out and get him
out of his comfort zone."
The 6-foot-2 guard missed his first five shots before making a
reverse layup with 8:18 left in the first half. But by that time
the Blue Devils were well on their way to their 17th consecutive victory.
Williams and Dunleavy also had 10 rebounds each, while Duhon
matched his career high with 11 assists.
Temple has played a brutal schedule so far, splitting six games
against teams who made the NCAA tournament a season ago.
The game featured recent Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
inductees Mike Krzyzewski and John Chaney -- two coaches who have
combined for 1,272 wins and 12 league championships.
But Chaney's famous zone defense was shredded by the Blue
Devils, who came into the game shooting
just 30.5 percent from 3-point range.
Duke passed the ball crisply around the perimeter until a wide
open shot was available this time, making a season-high 13
3-pointers.
"They certainly have the ability to go back to the big show and
do as well," Chaney said of the defending national champions.
Krzyzewski and Chaney were honored in front of the Cameron
Indoor Stadium crowd prior to the start. The two hugged on Coach K
Court, Chaney kissed Krzyzewski on the side of his cheek and then
wiped tears away as he returned to his huddle after the emotional
exchange.
"I'm really proud of our crowd that we did that," Krzyzewski
said of giving Chaney a standing ovation. "He should be accorded
the courtesies he deserves. He has earned them."
But Temple fell behind 10-0 out of the gate and never got closer
than nine the rest of the way.
Williams, slumping recently, got off to a fast start, hitting
four long-range shots in the opening 6:23 as Duke bolted to a
13-point lead.
"You guys have been putting more pressure on my jump shot than
I have," Williams told reporters. "They just went down tonight.
Every top player misses shots every now and then."
Williams and Dunleavy combined for 33 of Duke's 41 first-half
points, and then Williams helped the Blue Devils increase their
13-point margin to 18 in the opening 3:54 of the second with two
3-pointers.
"There are going to be games like that where a couple of guys
get open looks and have a good matchup," Dunleavy said. "We can't
get complacent and say, 'OK, it's somebody else's turn.' We've got
to keep taking our shots. That's what we did and it was a
successful evening."
For the second consecutive game, Temple went without 6-foot-10 senior Kevin
Lyde, who is nursing a sore ankle. His replacement, Brian Polk,
added 20 points for the Owls.
"We don't have apples for apples," said Chaney, who is also
without starter David Hawkins, who is academically ineligible for
the first semester. "Sometimes we go from an apple to a lemon -- and that's not good." | 
Temple vs. Duke