Duke Ends Oklahoma’s Home Win Streak at 51

Ninth-ranked Duke found a way to stop Oklahoma’s three-point shooting Saturday and in the process stopped the 11th-ranked Sooners’ 51-game homecourt winning streak.

Oklahoma made seven three-pointers in the first half--five by Terry Evans--but missed all nine of its tries in the second half when Duke rallied for a 90-85 victory.

“The defense of the three-point shot in the second half I thought was the key,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “They’re really an outstanding basketball team and I’m proud of our guys to beat a team like this. Whether they’re playing at home or away doesn’t make any difference. They’re just damn good.”

Oklahoma’s last home loss had come against Kansas State in the final regular-season game in 1987. The Sooners (8-2) hadn’t lost to a non-conference opponent since Tulsa beat them in 1982.

The winning streak was the longest in the nation, along with Arizona’s.

“I thought we left a lot to be desired defensively,” Oklahoma coach Billy Tubbs said. “A lot of things broke down, but I think our defense broke down the most.

“We’re disappointed that our record was stopped, but we were disappointed 51 games ago when it was stopped. Our guys will regroup and be ready to play again.”

Grant Hill and Christian Laettner scored 19 points apiece, Thomas Hill had 16 and Bobby Hurley had 13 -- 12 in the second half -- as Duke (8-2) overcame a five-point halftime deficit. The Blue Devils also had a 39-29 rebounding edge.

The loss spoiled an outstanding effort by Oklahoma forward Jeff Webster, who scored 32 points. He had 22 of the Sooners’ 35 second-half points.

Evans, after bombarding the Blue Devils in the first half, was held to just one basket in the second. He also committed 11 turnovers. Brent Price, the team’s leading scorer with a 25-point average, scored just 11.

“What we were just trying to do was keep them a little bit farther out or make them have to work just a little bit more to get their shots,” Krzyzewski said. “Our perimeter defense did a much better job in the second half.”

Evans had three three-pointers in the opening 4 1/2 minutes when Oklahoma took a 19-12 lead. Then Laettner scored seven straight points for the Blue Devils, bringing them to 22-21 with 11:56 left in the half. But a 14-5 Oklahoma spurt made it 36-26 with 6:19 left.

Laettner had 12 points by the time the game was 11 minutes old, but didn’t score the rest of the half. Grant Hill and Thomas Hill picked up the slack. Grant Hill had 12 points at halftime, Thomas Hill 8.

“I told our team at the half I thought we were playing excellent basketball and that Oklahoma was playing a little better, and to just keep their heads up,” Krzyzewski said. “Sometimes when you’re playing real well and losing, you can get down on yourself.”

That didn’t happen.

Hurley made a pair of driving shots inside as Duke opened the second half with a 10-4 spurt to take a 55-54 lead. Then he made a three-pointer later in the half that started an 11-2 surge that put the Blue Devils up 78-70 with 7:44 to play.

The Sooners, with no perimeter offense, got no closer than 83-79 with 2:46 left. Duke was able to respond by scoring six straight points.

Oklahoma shot only 42 percent in the second half after having shot 60 percent in the first.

“I thought they did a good job defensively,” Tubbs said. “I don’t think we had anything going in the second half except Webster. A lot of teams try to stop certain players, but your other players are supposed to take up the slack.”

Krzyzewski said it was a much-needed victory for his team, which had already lost tough games to Arkansas and Georgetown.

“We had a chance to beat Arkansas,” he said. “We had a chance to beat Georgetown.

“But you can’t just have chances. You’ve got to do it. I think they didn’t want to just be satisfied getting close.”