CHICAGO - Although DePaul may be Conference USA's hottest team, Duke proved again why it is simply the country's hottest team in beating the Blue Demons at the United Center last night.
The top-ranked Blue Devils (28-1) defeated the Blue Demons (16-10) 96-64, extending their winning streak to 23 games and putting a halt to DePaul's modest five-game winning streak. The Blue Devils' 23 consecutive wins equals the longest winning streak in Duke history.
Despite all the hoopla surrounding Saturday's ACC finale at UNC, Duke was able to focus on the task at hand-beating a young, but talented DePaul squad.
"This game showed that we respected DePaul," coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "We came in here ready to play and our kids today did a real good job. Elton [Brand] inside was tough for them to handle and our two guards played like the veteran backcourt that they are."
A scrappy DePaul squad played Duke tight in the first half, only allowing the Blue Devils a 43-29 lead at halftime. But the Blue Devils stepped up their defense in the second half and ran away with the game. They held the Blue Demons to a meager 33-percent shooting clip from the field and 23 percent from three-point range.
"I thought that we were fortunate in the first half," Krzyzewski said. "We gave some open looks up to them that they didn't knock down. I thought our defense in the second half was great. In the first half, they had some open looks that normally they're going to knock down. I think they were 3-for-13 from the three-point line.
"If they knocked down half of those it would have been a closer game. I think that we were fortunate then."
Led by Trajan Langdon's 10 early second-half points, Duke used a 24-11 run to break the game wide open and destroyed the Blue Demons' hopes of keeping within striking distance. If Langdon were feeling the effects of an elbow to the lip in Duke's last game against Clemson, he didn't show it, leading Duke's attack with 25 points.
Langdon was also instrumental in sparking the Duke attack in the first half, scoring nine of Duke's first 13 points.
"We're pretty confident right now and from here on out we've got even bigger goals," Langdon said. "We're going to come out every game with the attitude that we'll win."
Brand, who recorded his ACC-leading 14th double-double, again was a major force inside the paint. He forced DePaul into early foul trouble with his inside game and also disrupted the Blue Demon offense with four blocks. On one first-half possession, Brand blocked two straight DePaul shots. He blocked the first shot back at the DePaul player and the second one out-of-bounds. Brand finished the game with 20 points and 16 rebounds.
In addition to Duke's two Naismith finalists, three other players scored in double figures for Duke-Will Avery (12), Corey Maggette (14) and Chris Burgess (11). The Blue Devils finished the game shooting 53 percent from the floor and they also outrebounded the undersized Blue Demons, 47-35.
"Our bench was terrific," Krzyzewski said. "Burgess was very good and Maggette was outstanding. For him to handle all of that today-coming back from Chicago, I'm proud of his maturity and him being able to handle it well."
Duke also did a good job shutting down one of the country's top freshmen, Quentin Richardson. Although Richardson ended up scoring 21 points, he made less than one-third of his shots, only hitting 6-of-19 from the floor. The Blue Devils used Brand and Shane Battier to help neutralize DePaul's star player.
"I felt like I did a good job," Brand said. "I didn't let him have a chance to do what he does on other people."
Notes: Last night's game at the United Center was a college record for attendance in the state of Illinois with 22,180 people.... Due to a high ankle sprain, Shane Battier did not play in the second half. The severity of his injury is not yet known and will be determined by team doctors.
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