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General News Duke hopes to continue dominance of Davidson |
Durham, NC (Sports Network) - The second-ranked Duke Blue Devils have won 21 straight meetings with the Davidson Wildcats and will attempt to extend that streak in a non-conference showdown at Cameron Indoor Stadium tonight.
Since dropping an 81-73 decision to Michigan in early December, Duke has run off four straight wins, including a 69-44 besting of Virginia Tech on Sunday. It as the ACC opener for the Blue Devils, whose average margin of victory during the win streak is 31.8 ppg. Now at 12-1 overall, Duke will look to continue its outstanding play at Cameron Indoor Stadium, where it has won 66 straight and 195 of its last 198 games versus non-conference opponents.
As for Davidson, it too has played well of late, winning eight of its past nine outings, including a 76-55 triumph of Samford on Saturday. The win improved the team to 10-2, marking its best start to a season since going 11-1 to open the 1969-70 campaign. The Wildcats though, are just 3-33 all-time against teams ranked in the AP Top-5.
Davidson also hasn't defeated Duke since 1981, dropping 21 straight decision since then. The Blue Devils hold a commanding 86-17 lead in the all-time series with the Wildcats and that includes a 30-1 mark at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The Wildcats have had no trouble putting points on the board this season, averaging a healthy 82.3 ppg behind 44.3 percent shooting from the floor and 36.8 percent from three-point range. Stephen Curry is one of the elite players in the nation and he is turning in a hardy 29.2 ppg to pace Davidson. He also leads the team in assists (84), as well as steals (36) and he is shooting 37.5 percent from long distance. Andrew Lovedale has provided Davidson with a presence in the paint and he nearly averages a double-double with 12.8 ppg and a team-high 9.6 rpg. On Saturday, Curry dropped in 21 points and doled out eight helpers to lift the Wildcats past Samford. Curry made 5-of-6 three- pointers for Davidson, which went 12-of-23 from beyond the arc as a team.
The Blue Devils match Davidson with their 82.8 ppg average, only they have fared better on defense and the boards, holding opponents to 60.2 ppg and outrebounding them by 10.5 rpg. Kyle Singler has made an impact at both ends of the floor and he leads Duke with 16.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg and 29 steals. Jon Scheyer is next in line with 13.8 ppg and 22 steals, while Gerald Henderson contributes 12.3 ppg and 4.2 rpg. Nolan Smith round out the double-figure scorers, with 11.1 ppg. On Sunday, all four players reached double digits, as Duke prevailed over Virginia Tech in its league opener. Singler led the charge with an all-around effort of 19 points, eight boards and seven assists. Henderson logged 15 points and eight rebounds, while Smith and Scheyer chipped in 13 and 11 points, respectively. Duke controlled the boards, 38-28, and limited Virginia Tech to a sub par 36.7 percent shooting effort from the floor.
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