Duke Takes Emotions Out on Florida State

Carlos Boozer scored 23 points and Shane Battier had 21 as No. 2-ranked Duke rebounded from a loss to North Carolina three days earlier by beating Florida State, 100-58, Sunday at Durham, N.C.

“It was a strange feeling, you looked at the fans and even they were exhausted,” senior tri-captain Nate James said. “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.’ ”

“Once you step on that court it’s not about you. It’s about Duke.”

The victory gave Duke, 20-2 overall and 8-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, a 20-win season for the 16th time in the last 18seasons under Coach Mike Krzyzewski and kept Blue Devils a game behind the conference-leading Tar Heels.

Monte Cummings led Florida State (6-16, 1-8) with 13 points.

No. 5 Michigan State 72, Purdue 55--The Spartans used a 22-0 first-half run and a suffocating defense in a Big Ten victory at East Lansing, Mich., extending the nation’s longest home win streak to 41 games.

Andre Hutson scored 14 points, Zach Randolph had 12 and Marcus Taylor 10 as the Michigan State(18-2, 7-2) turned a close, physical game into a rout.

Purdue (13-7, 5-4) held the lead a few times in the first 12 minutes beforeMichigan State went on a decisive 22-point run.

No. 9 Maryland 69, Clemson 54--Terence Morris scored 18 points, including three consecutive baskets down the stretch to lead the Terrapins over the Tigers in an ACC game at College Park, Md.

Maryland (15-6, 6-3) never trailed in beating Clemson (10-12, 1-8) for the seventh consecutive time. The Terrapins were coming off a deflating overtime loss at home against Duke and a 21-point defeat at Virginia.

No. 20 Boston College 89, Villanova 74--Troy Bell scored 22 points for the Eagles in the Big East game at Boston and helped extend their best start in 34 years.

Reserve Ryan Sidney, who had 12 points, sparked an 11-0 first-half run that gave Boston College (16-2, 7-1) a 15-point lead with 8:56 left. The Eagles led by as many as 18 points the rest of the way.

The Eagles, who also got a season-high 16 points from Kenny Walls, are off to their best start since 1966-67, when they were 23-2 under coach Bob Cousy before losing their last game.

Villanova (12-8, 4-5) lost for the sixth time in eight games despite 26 points and 11 rebounds from Michael Bradley.

Rutgers 70, No. 22 Seton Hall 64--Todd Billet scored 16 of his points in the final 6:45 to help the Scarlet Knights overcome a 17-point second-half deficit against the Pirates for their first Big East victory of the season at East Rutherford, N.J.

Rutgers (9-11, 1-8) went on a 25-2 run to take a 62-56 lead with 3:58 remaining. Seton Hall (12-8, 3-6) got within two points but Billet made five of six free throws to seal the victory.

OTHER GAMES

Quincy Wadley scored 22 points and Lynn Greer had 18 for Temple in a 77-47 victory over Rhode Island in an Atlantic 10 game at Philadelphia. Alex Wesby and Kevin Lyde each had 12 points for Temple (13-10, 7-2). Rhode Island (5-17, 1-8) scored only three points in the final 12 minutes. . . . Ryan Sears scored 21 points Creighton defeated Indiana State, 77-71, in a Missouri Valley Conference game at Terre Haute, Ind., ending the Sycamores’ home winning streak at 22. Indiana State (16-6, 8-3) led by as many as 13 points butwas outscored 17-10 late in the second half and Creighton (16-6, 8-4) tied the score at 67. The Bluejays outscored the Sycamores, 8-2, in the last five minutes. . . . Junior Rahsaan Johnson scored a career-high 43 points--the third highest total in NCAA Division I this season--to lead Monmouth (N.J.) to a 86-77 victory over St. Francis (N.Y.) in a Northeast Conference game at West Long Branch, N.J. Johnson scored 40 points against St. Francis last season in the conference tournament.