Duke blocks 14 shots and limits Virginia to 34.9 percent shooting from the field.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

DURHAM, N.C. - In the preseason, Virginia swore it didn't have an eighth-place men's basketball team.

The Cavaliers were right. By tipoff Sunday night, Virginia was the only team without an ACC victory and nothing changed at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Conference scoring leader J.J. Redick from Roanoke had a game-high 28 points as fifth-ranked Duke dropped 11th-place Virginia even deeper into the ACC cellar, 80-66.

Shelden Williams barely missed a triple-double, finishing with 16 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high nine blocks as the Blue Devils (13-0, 3-0 ACC) defeated UVa for the 20th time in 22 games, including 10 straight at Cameron.

"I thought our kids played well," said UVa coach Pete Gillen, whose team travels to Maryland on Wednesday. "We took some steps forwards. Now, we've got to play well and win."

Duke didn't take the lead for the first time until freshman DeMarcus Nelson converted a three-point play to make it 18-17 with 8:38 remaining in the first half. Led by surprise starter Gary Forbes and freshman point guard Sean Singletary, UVa (9-5, 0-4) enjoyed its biggest lead at 17-10.

After a Daniel Ewing basket cut the margin to 17-12, Gillen called his second timeout of the game with 10:03 left. The Blue Devils scored the next six points as part of a 22-6 run.

When Gillen used his third timeout with 3:53 before halftime, the Duke students serenaded him with chants of "Timeout Pete, Timeout Pete."

Virginia trimmed a nine-point Duke lead to 34-28 at the half, but came out slowly after halftime for the third game in a row. UVa missed six of seven shots and also had two turnovers during a stretch when Duke went ahead 45-30.

"I don't know," said Gillen when asked to explain the poor second-half starts. "No answers. We've got to find out why. They turned up the juice a little bit. We got some point-blank shots. We got some good shots. We just didn't convert."

Redick had 20 points in the second half, including all four of his 3-point attempts.

"We were right in his face," Gillen said. "It seemed he was falling out of bounds on a couple of them. He's the best shooter in the country. Tell me who's a better shooter."

After Duke went up by 15 points, Virginia cut the margin to eight on several occasions, the last time at 56-48 with more than 9 1/2 minutes left, but the Cavaliers missed their next five shots.

Virginia shot 34.9 percent from the field for the game, not surprising in light of Duke's 14 blocks.

"We took it to them," Gillen said. "We went in there. I guess there weren't any fouls. I've got to coach. I can't referee."

Williams, who fouled out of 11 games in his first two seasons, has not been disqualified this year.

"Shelden really has been unbelievable this year just staying out of foul trouble," Redick said. "He's really become a very smart post player and defender. I don't think Elton [Brown] played bad. He was just outmatched tonight. He was throwing every move possible at Shelden and Shelden was rejecting his shots."

Duke shot 55.6 percent in the second half and finished at 50.9 for the game. The Blue Devils outrebounded UVa 37-35 despite starting three guards, "but Shelden Williams makes up for a lot of things," Gillen said.

UVa made 20 of 21 free throws, hitting all 16 of its efforts in the second half. The only miss was an air ball by Forbes with .1 seconds remaining in the first half.

Singletary, playing with noteworthy poise in his first game at Cameron, had a team-high 19 points for the Cavaliers. Forbes had 17 points and 10 rebounds - his first career double-double - and Brown had 13 points.

U.Va.’s challenge is no problem for Duke
By ED MILLER, The Virginian-Pilot
© January 17, 2005

DURHAM, N.C. — Gary Forbes had the right idea.

Challenge a shot blocker, the basketball adage says, so with Virginia still within hailing distance of Duke on Sunday night, the 6-foot-6 Forbes took the ball directly at the Blue Devils’ 6-9 center, Shelden Williams.

Forbes soared. Williams yielded. But instead of dunking with a flourish, Forbes’ rammed the ball against the rim.

The play typified the evening for the Cavaliers, who competed hard, did some good things, but never seriously threatened Duke, which rolled to an 80-66 win at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Williams didn’t touch Forbes’ shot, but he swatted nine others, while altering several more. If Williams owned the paint, guard J.J. Redick ruled the perimeter, making all four of his 3-point attempts in the second half on the way to a game-high 28 points.

With Duke up 56-48, Redick made a 3 from the right wing while falling out of bounds. On Duke’s next possession, DeMarcus Nelson bobbled the ball, only to have it roll to Williams, who scored on a layup while being fouled.

Virginia coach Pete Gillen waved his arms in frustration. After Williams’ free throw, Duke led 62-48 with 8:49 left, which is pretty much where the margin stayed.

Virginia (9-5) dropped its fourth ACC game in as many tries and its 20th in its last 22 meetings against Duke.

“I thought we played very hard,” Gillen said. “We gave it what we had. We did a good job on Redick in the first half. In the second half he went nuts.”

Redick scored 20 of his 28 in the second half, coming off screens and hoisting 3-pointers from improbable distances.

“He’s the best shooter in the country,” Gillen said.

Said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski: “J.J. got off.” So did Williams, on the defensive end, where he swatted post-up attempts, layups and jump shots. Williams also scored 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds.

Daniel Ewing added 17 points, despite sustaining a leg injury late in the first half.

“Our big three won the ball game,” Krzyzewski said.

Duke used just a six-player rotation, with former starter Shavlik Randolph, who is recovering from mononucleosis, limited to five minutes, and reserve Reggie Love unavailable due to a foot injury.

Duke’s lack of size and depth didn’t matter. The Blue Devils (13-0, 3-0 ACC) grabbed two more rebounds than Virginia, and held the Cavaliers to 35 percent shooting.

“Our defense was real ly good the last 30 minutes of the game,” Krzyzewski said.

Virginia helped by missing some point-blank shots. Devin Smith and J.R. Reynolds shot just 2 for 16 combined. Only Forbes (17 points) and Sean Singletary (19 points) had much success going to the basket.

Still, Virginia kept attacking, and kept the score respectable by making 20 of 21 free throws. The loss dropped Virginia to 0-4 in the ACC for the first time since 1999. Gillen pointed out that three of Virginia’s four ACC games have come against teams ranked in the top 10 in the nation.

“I thought our kids played well,” he said. “We took some steps forward. Now we’ve got to play well and win.”

 

The mystery of Duke leaves Cavs in awe
The Virginian-Pilot
© January 17, 2005

DURHAM, N.C. - You ask the basketball mavens on Tobacco Road how this Duke team stays undefeated, and they shake their heads as if to say, “I don’t know.”

Duke doesn’t possess the depth or firepower or athletic ability of ACC rivals Wake Forest and North Carolina, and yet the Blue Devils are keeping company in the polls with their glossier neighbors.

Even its supporters are quick to explain that Duke hasn’t exactly played a rigorous schedule, with only one game all season — last week’s victory at North Carolina State — in an opponent’s gym.

Compliant opponents such as Virginia on Sunday night, combined with Duke’s trademark tenaciousness, have allowed the Blue Devils to race out to a 13-0 record and a No. 5 national ranking that, judging from the looks of this thin, unbalanced team, can’t last, maybe not even another week.

For now, Mike Krzyzewski is getting away with playing a lot of minutes with a lineup of four guards 6-foot-4 or shorter, along with center Shelden Williams, whose domination of the paint against the Cavaliers suggests that the 6-foot-9 junior should be known as Sherwin Williams. Despite U.Va.’s superior height and bulk on the boards, Duke outrebounded the visitors by two, while the Blue Devils blocked 14 shots to U.Va.’s one.

“Shelden Williams makes up for a lot of things,” said Virginia coach Pete Gillen, noting Williams’ nine blocks, 11 rebounds and 16 points. “He’s a very physical guy. He throws his body around pretty good.”

Williams played with the freedom of a man who was never in foul trouble, finishing with three. Gillen wrinkled his brow at that.

“We took it in there,” said Gillen. “I guess it wasn’t fouls. I gotta coach. I can’t referee. We attacked, we attacked. We got it close to the basket. It was blocked sometimes.”

Virginia lost 80-66, but the Cavaliers didn’t let up. Had Gillen’s team played as tenaciously in the loss to Miami in Charlottesville last week, perhaps the Cavs wouldn’t be 0-4 in the ACC. “We took some steps forward,” Gillen said. “Now we’re got to play well and win.”

Duke being Duke, the Blue Devils aren’t in the habit of expecting the worst. Krzyzewski knows his team is one of his weakest in years.

Except for a token appearance Sunday night from Shavlik Randolph, who is coming back from a bout of mono, Duke has had to make do of late with only six recruited scholarship players.

“We walk out on the court with people who believe they can beat us,” said Coach K, contrasting this season with most Duke enjoys. “And they can.”

But not if Duke’s “Big Three,” as Coach K called them, has anything to say about it.

Williams, J.J. Redick and Daniel Ewing accounted for 51 points against U.Va., with Redick’s 28 leading the way. After reaching last season’s Final Four, they are no strangers to success.

“They could have won the national championship last year,” noted Krzyzewski. “I mean, I do have chicken for my chicken salad. It’s just not a big salad.”

No sarcasm there. It’s just Coach K’s gentle way of saying that Duke’s margin for error this season is razor thin. How thin won’t be known until the Blue Devils hit the road and the dog days of the conference schedule.

Of being undefeated midway through January, Krzyzewski said, “We’re probably a little bit lucky. I mean, I’m not badmouthing our team. Our program knows how to win.”

As U.Va. is discovering, that can make all the difference.

U.Va. better but on bottom
BY DAVE JOHNSON
247-4649
Published January 17, 2005

DURHAM, N.C. -- After a dreadful start to the New Year, Virginia rediscovered its energy and cohesiveness Sunday night. Against the nation's fifth-ranked team in one of the toughest venues around, that meant only a respectable loss.

After trailing for much of the first half, Duke poured it on behind J.J. Redick's hot hand for an 80-66 victory over the Cavaliers on Sunday night in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Held in check early on, Redick scored 20 of his 28 points after halftime as the Blue Devils (13-0, 3-0) kept pace with Wake Forest atop the ACC standings.

Virginia gave probably its best effort since early December, if not late November. But in the end, the Cavaliers (9-5, 0-4) lost for the fourth time in five games to find themselves in sole possession of last place.

"Moral victories aren't going to get us anywhere," point guard Sean Singletary said. "We've got to get in the win column to make the (NCAA) tournament. We played well tonight, just not well enough."

Some familiar names - Shelden Williams, Daniel Ewing and Redick -were the difference. Williams just missed a triple-double with 16 points, 11 rebounds and nine blocked shots. Ewing, who took a nasty spill near the end of the first half, finished with 17 points and six rebounds.

And Redick ... man, when he gets hot. ...

He didn't get many good shots in the first half, and Virginia's Gary Forbes saw to that. But after hitting 2 of 6 shots in the opening 20 minutes, Redick was 6-of-7 (4-of-4 from 3-point range) the rest of the way.

"I had my hand up, but he's the best shooter in the country," Forbes said. "He was just knocking them down, and there's nothing you can do about that. This is his gym. He owns the place."

For Redick, the ball hitting net was a welcomed sight after his 1-for-5 night last week at N.C. State.

"He did a better job of playing off the ball than he did at State," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "He prepared very well. It just didn't happen. He put in extra hours of shooting last night before a team meeting. You have to do that, you have to prepare to win."

Virginia coach Pete Gillen saw some positive signs. Singletary finished with 19 points, eight fewer than he scored in his previous four games. Forbes had his first double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds, eight on the offensive end.

Virginia didn't come within eight points in the game's final 17:51, but it also didn't fold. With Singletary slashing to the basket and Forbes crashing the boards, the Cavs managed to hang around. If not for a key sequence that went the other way, who knows how much Virginia might have made Duke sweat?

The Cavs trailed by eight when Forbes banked a shot from point-blank range too hard. U.Va.'s Jason Clark rebounded, but Williams swatted his follow away. The Blue Devils pushed it down the floor, and Redick drilled a 3-pointer from the right corner.

Smith, who was 1-for-8 from the floor, was then stuffed in the post. Williams converted a three-point play to make it a 14-point game with 8:49 left.
 

'Time out, Pete': Cavs must turn it around fast
Published January 17 2005
David Teel

DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke isn't good enough to make the Final Four. Virginia isn't good enough to save Pete Gillen.

Jot down those impressions in pencil after Sunday night, when the fifth-ranked Blue Devils defeated the Cavaliers 80-66 at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Virginia led for most of the first half and never folded in the second. But talent prevailed, even with Duke short-handed.

Of the ACC's 11 teams, only the Cavaliers (9-5, 0-4) lack a conference victory. That is not healthy for Gillen, the program's seventh-year coach desperately seeking an eighth.

Coaching turmoil, with its empty seats, unruly fans and angry donors, is rarely attractive, and Virginia's could get coyote ugly in a hurry. If the Cavaliers lose at Maryland on Wednesday, they fall to 0-5 in the ACC entering Saturday's home game against Clemson.

No offense to the Tigers, but they've never stirred basketball passions in Charlottesville. And if the home team is 0-fer, and the visitors can't import Tree Rollins and Ho' Grant, University Hall will be lifeless.

Gillen is rarely lifeless. He sweats puddles and never sits still. But the message doesn't seem to translate.

Consider his haphazard use of timeouts, a trademark of his tenure. Gillen called two in the first 10 minutes, even though Virginia never trailed during that span. His called his third with 3:53 left in the first half, even though the next dead ball meant a television stoppage.

"Time out, Pete. Time out, Pete," the Duke student section chanted.

The chaos on the bench spills onto the court. When Gillen burned his second timeout, Virginia led 17-12. Nine-plus minutes later they trailed 32-23.

Following his eighth consecutive loss to Duke, Gillen said he was proud of his players and called the Blue Devils a "great team."

That's a mighty generous assessment.

I know the Blue Devils are 13-0, 3-0 in the league. I know Mike Krzyzewski's a Hall of Fame coach and J.J. Redick's a freakish shooter. Still, it's difficult to envision Duke hangin' with North Carolina and Wake Forest. Not athletic enough, not deep enough, even with a trio like Redick (28 points), Shelden Williams (16 points, 11 rebounds, nine blocked shots) and Daniel Ewing (17 points).

This marks the fourth time in Krzyzewski's 25 years that the Blue Devils are 13-0. Two of the previous three - 1986 and '89 - advanced to the Final Four.

But if this is a Final Four team, I'm Dirk Nowitzki.

Yet with upcoming games against Florida State, Miami, Maryland and Virginia Tech, the Blue Devils have a decent chance to be 17-0 headed to Wake Forest. Ask North Carolina how tough the Deacs are at home.

And following Wake Forest, Duke returns home for dates against Georgia Tech and North Carolina. The Devils won't survive that patch unbeaten.

Duke has won 53 consecutive home games against unranked teams and is limiting opponents to 37 percent shooting, its best field-goal percentage defense since 1950. But Redick, Williams and Ewing need help, and Shavlik Randolph's return (three minutes Sunday) from mononucleosis isn't a likely answer.

Junior Lee Melchionni and freshman DeMarcus Nelson are improving weekly, but Krzyzewski conceded, "For us, every game is monumental."

Gillen can relate. While Duke plays for NCAA tournament seeding, Virginia hopes merely to qualify. Some how, some way, the Cavaliers have to start winning ACC games in bunches. Or else.

Sean Singletary and Gary Forbes played well Sunday, but not nearly well enough to overcome Virginia's 34.5 percent shooting and Redick's 4-for-4 from beyond the arc in the second half. The Cavaliers trailed for the final 25 minutes and never seriously threatened in the second half.

Through it all, athletic director Craig Littlepage's top assistant, Jon Oliver, sat impassively, shoehorned into the front row of the bleachers not 3 feet from Gillen. Oliver, himself a former basketball coach, undoubtedly has a voice in Gillen's future.

The proximity could not have been comfortable for either man.

Duke survives scare to dominate Virginia once again
By FRANK DASCENZO : The Herald-Sun
fdascenzo@heraldsun.com
Jan 17, 2005 : 12:19 am ET

DURHAM -- Looking for a word to describe the Duke-Virginia basketball series?

Try this: domination.

The Blue Devils' 80-66 victory over the Cavaliers on Sunday night in Cameron Indoor Stadium was Duke's 20th in the last 22 games against UVa. It was Duke's 10th straight over the Wahoos in Cameron.

There was, however, a moment of fright for Duke when, with 1:28 remaining in the first half, senior Daniel Ewing remained sprawled on the baseline, his lower left leg in pain, while everybody else ran away. A quiet hush swept the building. Mike Krzyzewski left his seat on the Duke bench to check on Ewing. One Cameron Crazy screamed from the top of her lungs, "We love you Daniel," while the Duke team tried not to look overly concerned.

Krzyzewski walked back to the bench; Ewing remained on the floor. You know how it is in situations like these -- the game must go on.

At halftime, Duke led 34-28 and Ewing's fate was uncertain. Then in warmups for the second half, Ewing was sprinting like nothing ever happened. The Duke Nation collectively gulped and there was this word you may use in this case -- relief.

The last thing thing Duke needs is to be without Ewing.

"Gutty performance," Krzyzewski would later say of Ewing's 17 points, particularly the one 3-pointer he made. "I thought he was out the rest of the game."

Not Ewing. Too strong. Too good. Too determined.

"I was scared when Daniel was on the baseline. He's one of the key guys on our team and we can't afford to have another guy go down," Redick said. "It was such relief when I saw him at halftime, back in the locker room, and that smile on his face -- he looked like he was ready to go."

Duke's big three -- Redick, Ewing and Shelden Williams -- were a combined 22-of-36 (.611) and scored 61 points. Krzyzewski cited his defense in the final 30 minutes as crucial. Simply put, the Cavs didn't get many open looks.

So, why is Duke winning? It doesn't have great size, although Williams made up for that vs. Virginia. And Duke doesn't have the depth of other teams. What gives then?

"We expected to be here, we knew we'd have some challenging games," Redick said. "Really, every league game is challenging. I think our stamina has made a big difference -- our preseason conditioning has been the hardest it has been and that's really paid off."

Krzyzewski doesn't dwell too much on history -- no sense in reviving the good old days -- but there was a 1983 night in Atlanta when some his players -- Johnny Dawkins, Jay Bilas, Mark Alarie, David Henderson and Tommy Amaker mostly -- vowed never to lose to Virginia. It came after a 109-66 Virginia rout of Duke at the ACC Tournament and those who were with Krzyzewski later that night claim he was hurt as much as his players.

They say time heals most wounds and, for the record, Krzyzewski is now 41-15 vs. the Cavaliers.

There are a slew of reasons for Duke's consistency against Virginia. Feel free to take your pick at which was most impressive:

* Shelden Williams' career- high nine blocks or Shelden Williams' 11 rebounds or Shelden Williams' 7-of-11 shooting or Shelden Williams' 39 minutes.

* J.J. Redick's half-dozen 3-pointers or J.J. Redick's 6-of-6 free throws. Ah heck, Redick usually is good in both of these areas, right? Whoops, this just in from Virginia coach Pete Gillen: "Redick is the best shooter in the country, especially in this building." This just in from Redick: "I don't know why I shoot well here. I guess the rims are soft."

* Duke's 55.6 percent shooting in the second half.

* Or the Duke defense, holding Virginia to 34.9 percent shooting, the 13th time in their 13-0 start the Blue Devils have limited opponents to worse than 50 percent from the field.

Duke remains perfect
Redick scores 28; Williams blocks 9
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
January 17, 2005

DURHAM, N.C. - In their house of horrors, the long nightmare just continued for the Cavaliers.

J.J. Redick scored 28 points, 20 coming in the second half, as No. 5 Duke remained undefeated with an 80-66 victory over struggling Virginia at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Sunday night.

Daniel Ewing had 17 points and Sheldon Williams contributed 16 points, 11 rebounds and nine blocks for the Blue Devils (13-0, 3-0 ACC), who are just one of four remaining unbeaten Division I teams in the nation.

Sean Singletary netted 19 for Virginia (9-5, 0-4 ACC), which has lost four of its last five and fell to 0-4 in the ACC for the first time since Pete Gillen’s first season in 1998-99.

Gary Forbes, getting the starting nod, had 17 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double.

“This is a disappointing loss. We gave it what we could and what we had. J.J. is a great player and probably the best shooter in the nation. He’s a good shooter anywhere and especially in his gym,” said Gillen, whose squad is the only ACC team without a league win after dropping the four games by an average of 16.8 points. “I think we took a step forward tonight but you can’t just play well, you have to play well and win.”

The loss was Virginia’s 10th straight at Cameron and dropped the program’s all-time mark to 8-44 in this building. It remains one of two buildings, along with N.C. State’s RBC Center, in which Gillen’s teams have never won during his seven-year tenure.

Duke is playing through injuries and implementing a patchwork lineup that includes essentially four guards and Williams but is off to the school’s first 13-0 start since the 1989-90 season.

“We’re pleased with the win. For us, every game is monumental,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said.

Virginia lost its three previous ACC contests with decisive meltdowns to begin the second half and essentially did the same Sunday.

The Blue Devils opened the second half on an 11-2 run to snare a 45-30 advantage with 16:14 left in the contest.

“This has happened to us a couple of times now. I don’t have any theories on that. They spurted early in the second half and they tuned up the juice a little bit,” Gillen said. “We got some good shots and some point blank shots. We just couldn’t finish.”

This time at least the Cavaliers performed a mild recovery.

The Cavaliers managed to chip the lead under double digits but in a sequence defining its recent struggles, historic struggles in this building and perpetual woes under Gillen, the Cavs’ comeback hopes were diverted in a mere four or five seconds.

Trailing 56-48 with just less than 10 minutes to play, Forbes darted in for a layup but the ball spun out and was rebounded by Williams. Duke came down the floor and Redick squeezed off a deep trey that pushed the lead back to double digits, 59-48. Virginia would never come any closer the rest of the game.

“That was a big spurt there. We didn’t convert in the open court and that’s something we have to do,” Gillen said.

Duke led 34-28 at intermission after trailing by as many as seven midway through the first half. Gillen, always quick with the trigger on timeouts, may have halted his team’s momentum with at least one of his three stoppages in the first 20 minutes.

Forbes’ drive and layup gave Virginia a 17-10 advantage with 10:53 before halftime and Virginia still held a 17-12 lead 20 seconds later when Gillen used his second timeout. Duke proceeded to outscore Virginia 20-6 over the next seven minutes to grab a 32-23 advantage with 3:02 left before intermission.

“They turned up the juice and blocked some shots after that. We were struggling with some things and were not scoring at that point and they went on the spurt,” Gillen said.

Singletary’s 19 points were his highest output since scoring 25 against Auburn on Dec. 3. Singletary has now played two games without a protective harness on his sore left shoulder. The freshman claims he’s now feeling more comfortable but neither that nor his 19 points were much solace to him on this evening.

“We played well tonight but a moral victory is not good enough. We had some mental breakdowns tonight. The game was sitting there for us to win but we had too many of those breakdowns,” Singletary said. “It’s something that is correctible. We were outhustled and we can’t afford to do that.”

A moral win of sorts for the Cavaliers
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
January 17, 2005
DURHAM, N.C.

Duke remains as one of four unbeaten teams in the land as dawn breaks today. But the Blue Devils can be had and even Coach Mike Krzyzewski will be among the first to admit it is so.

In fact, after the fifth-ranked Devils ran their record to 13-0 on Sunday night with an 80-66 win over visiting Virginia, Krzyzewski admitted that several of Duke’s vanquished foes have had more or equal depth and talent.

The Cavaliers certainly had more playable depth and coach Pete Gillen’s team boasts more talent than given credit for. But there’s one measurable difference in the two basketball programs.

Duke knows how to win

“We’re probably a little lucky,” Coach K said after a 3-0 ACC start. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m not bad-mouthing my team. We’re a good team. Our Big Three [J.J. Redick, Daniel Ewing and Sheldon Williams] were only a step from playing for the national title last year. We were No. 1 in the RPI last year ... in three of the last six years.

“These kids know how to win,” Krzyzewski said. “I do have chicken for my chicken salad.”

On this particular night, Duke’s Big Three lifted the Devils out of a potentially dangerous situation. Virginia, off to its worst ACC start since Gillen’s first season (1998-99), had to make some sort of stand or risk sinking into an emotional abyss.

While the Cavaliers dropped to 0-4 in the league (9-5 overall), they did make Duke sweat.

Virginia was up 17-10 early before a 14-point swing over the following seven minutes. Still the Cavs were still in it at the half, trailing 34-28. What Gillen wanted was for his team to avoid the second-half swoon that has been killing UVa in league play.

The Wahoos have suffered monumental defensive meltdowns in the second half of late and paid dearly. Wake Forest outscored the Cavs by 14 in the final half. Georgia Tech and Miami each outscored UVa by 17 over the final 20 minutes.

This one was closer

Duke managed to shoot well in the second half and increased its own defensive intensity, but the Cavaliers avoided the blowout. The Blue Devils, while shooting 55.6 percent in the second half, only managed to outscore the Cavs by eight points during that span.

Yeah, we know. Eight is as good as a hundred. Well, maybe in most cases, but not this one.

Virginia has to accept progress where it can. When a program has lost 16 of its last 18 ACC road contests and often is blown out of the gym, this was somewhat of a moral victory.

Gillen has a distaste for such things, but he had to feel better walking out of Cameron Indoor than any other ACC gym, including his own, this season.

Even as vulnerable as the unbeaten Blue Devils are, they’re not going to lose much on this floor. Virginia was essentially beaten when the Cavs stepped off the bus and went on to drop their 10th straight here. UVa has lost 20 of the last 22 meetings against Duke.

But this was a fight. This was a game where the Cavaliers didn’t quit. Down 15 early in the second half, the Wahoos could have let this thing get out of hand.

Instead, they cut it to eight midway through the second half on two free throws by backup point guard T.J. Bannister. Gary Forbes, who was praised by both Gillen and Krzyzewski for his effort, had a chance to trim Duke’s lead to six after Bannister’s free throws but missed his open shot.

Duke’s killer instinct kicked in at that point. Remember what Krzyzewski said about knowing how to win?

Redick drilled a 3-pointer nearly from out of bounds on the next possession. Devin Smith missed his shot, then Williams ended up with a loose ball, scored in the lane, was fouled and made the free throw.

All of a sudden, Duke’s up by 14 (62-48) before Virginia knew what hit ’em.

On a night when the Blue Devils needed their Big Three to play up to par, they all three exceeded. Virginia didn’t have the answers.

Redick was near unstoppable. He hit 8 of 13 from the floor, 6 of 10 from bonusphere, for 28 points. Williams nearly had a triple-double with 16 points, 11 boards and nine blocked shots. Ewing slashed UVa’s defense with his penetration for 17 points, hitting 7 of 12.

“Williams really gave us a presence inside that was crucial for the game because I think Elton Brown is one of the best inside guys in the country,” Krzyzewski said.

Virginia’s plan was to drive the lane as much as possible in hopes of getting Williams in foul trouble. While the Cavaliers argued that some of Williams’ blocks were fouls, the officials didn’t see it that way.

Redick, who was disgusted with his own performance at N.C. State earlier in the week, shot for an extra hour on Saturday night in preparation for the Cavaliers. His extra work paid off.

Gillen was somewhat encouraged in defeat. This wasn’t the typical ACC road loss for his teams, which are 10-40 away from home in the league during his era.

“We played hard and gave it what we had,” Gillen said. “We took some steps forward. Now we’ve got to play well and win.”

One bright spot was Forbes. Another was freshman point guard Sean Singletary, who started the season playing a more mature game. Since ACC play started, he has played like a freshman ... until Sunday.

Singletary dropped in a team-high 19 points and played solid ball. Forbes recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds, eight of them offensive.

“Forbes was terrific for them,” Coach K said. “He gave [Virginia] life, especially early on. There were certain things we didn’t do tonight because Forbes wouldn’t let us and because Singletary was pretty good.”

There’s a few things Virginia must do to get this thing turned around. Somehow, Gillen needs to get Devin Smith, coming off an ankle injury, and J.R. Reynolds, who has shown flashes of brilliance, on the same page.

If the Cavs can get everyone playing well together, they have a chance. Singletary and Forbes and Reynolds and Smith could take a lot of pressure off Brown in the middle.

Virginia has to step up its defense as well. That seemed to be the key to the Cavaliers’ early success, but it has been their downfall in the ACC.

UVa’s four league opponents have shot no less than 47.6 percent in those games and two of them, Duke and Miami, shot lights out in the second half. Duke shot 55.6, Miami 58.0 in the final half.

Pete’s next chance and maybe a good chance to steal one on the road is Wednesday at Maryland.

For Pete’s sake, maybe lessons learned at Cameron will help.

Dukes defense dominates
By LUCIANA CHAVEZ, Staff Writer

DURHAM -- From his familiar seat in front of the microphone at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski spoke candidly following his fifth-ranked Blue Devils' 80-66 win over Virginia.

While pleased with what might have been the Devils' most complete effort in 2005, Krzyzewski explained why his team knows it needs to give more.

"I don't think we've had a game yet where we've gotten everything that we can do," Krzyzewski said. "But the teams we have played are either as good or some have a little more depth and talent [than we do]. What we'd like to do and what they let us do are two different things."

And yet, Duke is 13-0 overall after junior J.J. Redick scored 20 of his 28 points -- Virginia coach Pete Gillen said Redick went "nuts" -- in the second half.

"Overall I think we did a good job of just executing," Redick said. "I thought we started the game very casual."

Duke is 3-0 in the ACC because junior Shelden Williams just missed recording a triple-double. He blocked nine shots, which tied a Cameron record, with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Duke is ranked fifth in the country despite the fact that it was picked to finish fourth in the ACC, a fact that still lingers with Duke senior guard Daniel Ewing.

"Coming into the season ... you all didn't think you'd be talking a lot about Duke," said Ewing, who scored 17 points while playing on a sore left Achilles tendon he injured in the first half. "But we've sort of forced you guys to do that [now]."

Krzyzewski said Duke has been a little lucky.

"I'm not badmouthing my team," he said. "I think we're a good team."

The Devils' experience has been important in games. Six of nine players who played against Virginia also played in the 2004 Final Four.

"Now, I do have chicken for my chicken salad," Krzyzewski said. "It's just not a very big chicken salad. And those three guys [Ewing, Redick, Williams] have been in a lot of ballgames and won most of them. They know how to win."

Virginia (9-5, 0-4) attacked Duke with quickness and found its way to the basket over and over.

Virginia guard Sean Singletary and forward Gary Forbes damaged Duke's defense most with 19 points and 17, respectively.

But the Devils answered most of the evening by getting their hands on shots and sending them back.

Whether it was Williams swatting shots away from Elton Brown or DeMarcus Nelson sending back a Singletary layup or a just-returned Shavlik Randolph blocking Devin Smith from behind, Duke's aerial defense and 14 blocks prevented the Cavs from gaining any momentum.

"[Playing defense is] one thing I really embrace," Williams said. "I knew they were trying to get [Brown] going. Unfortunately, it didn't happen like that."

Krzyzewski was glad to have Randolph back to strengthen Duke's bench. Randolph missed four games with mononucleosis, but he has been practicing since Jan. 9.

He played five minutes in the first half with two blocks and two points.

Even with Randolph back, the game still looked like the previous five. For the sixth game in a row, Duke had to come from behind.

Virginia led 17-10 behind nine points from Forbes with 10:30 left in the first half. Duke took its first lead at 18-17. Virginia would tie the score at 23 but never regained the lead.

"We played well defensively, no question about it," Krzyzewski said. "Shelden got nine blocks. That helps a lot."

Duke subdues Virginia
Redick scores 28 points and helps Blue Devils foil Cavaliers down the stretch
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Jan 17, 2005
DUKE 80 U.VA. 66
INSIDE: N.C. State topples No. 8 Georgia Tech. Page C6

DURHAM, N.C. -- The predicted blowout didn't come to pass at Cameron Indoor Stadium last night. Virginia's basketball team battled for the full 40 minutes -- a change from recent games and never let Duke get totally comfortable.

In the end, though, the fifth-ranked Blue Devils had too much defense, too much poise and too much J.J. Redick for U.Va. With 3 minutes left, it was a 10-point game, but U.Va. never got closer.

Redick, the ACC's leading scorer, gunned down the guys from his home state yet again. Before a sellout crowd of 9,314, the 6-4 junior guard from Roanoke, Va., made 6 of 10 shots from outside the arc, including several SportsCenter-worthy bombs, and finished with 28 points in Duke's 80-66 victory.

"Basically, he's shooting from halfcourt," Virginia point guard Sean Singletary said, shaking his head.

Twenty of Redick's points came after the break, many on contested shots. Redick's astonishing marksmanship helped Duke (3-0, 13-0) shoot 55.6 percent from the floor in the final 20 min- utes.

"I know U.Va. has a lot of trouble guarding people off screens, and they certainly did tonight," Redick said.

The Cavaliers' third straight loss leaves them looking up at the rest of the league. Virginia (0-4, 9-5) is the only ACC team that has not won a conference game. U.Va. is 0-4 in the ACC for the first time since 1998-99, Pete Gillen's first season as its coach.

Singletary broke out a slump with 21 points on 8-for-13 shooting. Sophomore swingman Gary Forbes contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds -- his first double-double as a collegian -- and also had two steals.

"Forbes had a great game," Duke coach Mike Kryzewski said, but that didn't keep the Cavaliers, who led 17-10 near the midpoint of the first half, from losing their 10th straight at Cameron.

"We took a step here, but we're not here for any moral victories," senior center Elton Brown said. "Our main goal is just to win. We hung in with them, but hanging with them is not good enough."

The Blue Devils are off to their best start since 1991-92, when they won their first 17 games. Offensively, at least, Duke is something of a three-man show this season, and it's an impressive trio.

Redick, who stands sixth on Duke's all-time scoring list (1,357 points), torched the Cavaliers from the perimeter. Senior guard Daniel Ewing (17 points) scored on drives and jumper. Junior center Shelden Williams, dominant in the post, contributed 16 points and 11 rebounds, and he had nine -- a career high -- of Duke's 14 blocked shots.

"Those three guys, they've been in a lot of ball games, and they've won most of them," Krzyzewski said.

This was Virginia's third meeting with a top-10 opponent in its past four games. Against Wake Forest, the Cavaliers lost by 19 points after trailing by five at halftime. Against Georgia Tech, they lost by 23 after trailing by six at halftime.

Against Duke, U.Va. trailed by six at the break. Four minutes into the second half, the Cavaliers' deficit had grown to 15, but this time they didn't collapse. Forbes' trey pulled Virginia to 45-33, and senior forward Devin Smith's two free throws made it 45-35 with 14:56 remaining.

The Cavaliers kept fighting, and with 9:50 left, they had a chance to make it a six-point game. But Forbes missed a fast-break layup, and the Devils pounced. A minute later -- after Redick's catch-and-shoot 3-pointer from the right wing and Williams' three-point play -- Duke led by 14.

"That was a big spurt," Gillen said.

Virginia has lost four of its past five games, in part because at least one of its top players seems to be slumping every night. Smith, the team's leading scorer, had 21 points against Miami last week but only eight last night. Sophomore guard J.R. Reynolds, the third's third-leading scorer, had only two points against the Hurricanes. He had three last night. Reynolds is 1 for 11 from the floor in his past two games.

"We had some positive signs," Gillen said. "Now we just got to get Devin and J.R. going a little bit."

Gillen's Cavs not even close to turnaround
BOB LIPPER
POINT OF VIEW
Jan 17, 2005

DURHAM, N.C. The Pete Gillen era lurches, wheezes, stumbles (pick a verb) along. Players and bench aides come and go, but the flawed product retains the stamp of the man in charge. The outlook is grim, the boosters are restless, the athletic director is presumably on the case. It is not a pretty picture. It might not brighten anytime soon.

Gradual descent for one team, one basketball program and one coach continued last night. Duke 80, Virginia 66. Those were the raw numbers. Beneath the surface of this one-team-in-control-the-other-on-the-ropes decision, Pete Gillen pried hard for a silver lining.

"I thought we took some steps," he said. "Now we got to play well and win."

That may be hoping for too much. This is Gillen's seventh season in Charlottesville, and by now it seems fair to assume he is not the second coming of Jimmy Naismith. Gillen is a creampuff-enhanced 113-83 overall and only 42-62 against ACC opponents. He's won 10 ACC road games and lost 40, and he is next in action at Maryland.

His 3-11 postseason record includes one ACC tournament win -- over Clem son in last year's play-in affair for dead-enders. He recruited Keith Jenifer and cut the cord with Colin Ducharme and Majestic Mapp. On balance, it is not a sterling worksheet.

Nor is there yet the hint of a turnaround. Gillen jettisoned two assistants last spring and churned his staff. Taken at face value, that wasn't the answer. The Cavs whipped Arizona by 18 and Richmond by 27 during their first four outings, but they've been faltering (or worse) ever since. They struggled to overcome Northwestern, Auburn, Furman, Loyola-Marymount and Western Kentucky -- none a heavyweight. And let's not even talk about their ACC performances.

Well, OK, let's.

With this setback, U.Va. is 0-4 in the league. Average margin of those losses: 17 points. U.Va. was 22 for 63 last night and is shooting 37.3 percent in ACC outings. Duke was 28 for 55, meaning ACC rivals are purring at 49.6 against the Cavs. The Blue Devils' lineup consisted of Shelden Williams and four guards for a large chunk of the second half -- and they still outrebounded U.Va. No surprise there, the Cavs being minus-7.5 per ACC outing on the glass.

With stats like those, who needs to watch game tapes?

"We got to do a better job shooting the ball, and we got to defend better," conceded Gillen. "We got to play better a longer period of time."

Parity endured 14 minutes for the Cavs against the country's fifth-ranked team. For that long, they held serve with offensive rebounds and Sean Singletary's dribble-drives. But then, inevitably, Duke's lethal backcourt began sizzling. J.J. Redick hit a couple of treys and two free throws. Daniel Ewing banked in a runner and swished a curl-into-the-lane jumper. What had been a 23-all deadlock was now a 32-23 Duke lead in the space of two minutes and 19 seconds.

And that was all she wrote. Duke never led by more than 16 points. Virginia never got closer than six. Singletary (21 points) and Gary Forbes (17, plus 10 rebounds) were good. Redick (28) and Ewing (17) were better. Williams (nine blocks) was a beast. Elton Brown was out there. The Blue Devils remained undefeated. The Cavaliers remained a messy room in progress.

"We're struggling in the league and everybody has a nervous breakdown when we lose a game," Gillen said on his radio show the other day, "but we're 9-4."

They're an updated 9-5 now. It's tough to sense an impending upswing. It's tough to see a lighted contract at the end of the tunnel.