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Duke Knocks Off FSU, Takes Home Another ACC Crown
posted 03/15/09 8:31 pm
ABC 7 News - Duke Knocks Off FSU, Takes Home Another  ACC Crown
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(Sports Network) - Jon Scheyer scored a game-high 29 points as ninth-ranked Duke posted a 79-69 victory over 22nd-ranked Florida State in the ACC Tournament final at the Georgia Dome.

Gerald Henderson added 27 points and Kyle Singler poured in 14 for the Blue Devils (28-6), who earned their 17th ACC crown and first since 2006. The title ties them with bitter rival North Carolina for the most in conference history.

Duke opens up the NCAA Tournament as a two-seed in the East region, facing off against 15th-seeded Binghamton on Thursday.

"Our kids played really hard for three days," said Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski. "We got a few hot streaks with our three-point shooting, one in the first half, and that was impressive."

Krzyzewski reached another personal milestone, notching his 831st career win and moving him past Jim Phelan into fourth on the all-time list. Former Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp is third with 876.

Toney Douglas posted 28 points for the Seminoles (25-9), who bested Georgia Tech on Friday, then shocked top-ranked North Carolina on Saturday to reach the final for the first time since joining the ACC for the 1991-92 season.

Chris Singleton contributed 15 points, nine rebounds and three blocks, while Solomon Alabi had 10 points in defeat for Florida State, which gained an at- large berth to the tourney as a five-seed in the East and plays 12-seed Wisconsin on Friday.

"Our offense really didn't have good spacing and Duke will guard, so that's what happened. said Douglas.

Despite a 14-point deficit at halftime, the Seminoles ripped off an 11-0 run early in the second half as the Blue Devils went through a cold spell.

Singleton hit a three from the left side to bring FSU within 42-34 a little less than 6 1/2 minutes in, then a layup from under the bucket by Ryan Reid made it a six-point game with under a minute later.

Scheyer hit a three from the top of the key to break the stretch, and after another Seminole bucket from Singleton, Scheyer hit three free throws and Duke led 48-38 with 11 minutes to play.

Henderson nailed a triple from the right side and it was 53-40, but Luke Loucks responded with a three-point play for a 10-point game once more.

However, Henderson's slam and two from the line upped the margin to 57-43, then Scheyer followed with a circus lay-in and Singler drained a three, and Duke assumed a 62-43 edge with 7:22 to go.

Scheyer's make from long distance boosted the Blue Devils to a 22-point edge before a 10-0 run got Florida State within 12. Henderson hit 1-of-2 from the line to give Duke a 70-56 lead, and from there FSU was only able to shrink its deficit as low as nine.

Henderson and Scheyer combined to shoot a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe to lock up the win.

"It's a long time in coming. We've put a lot of work into building our team into what it is today," Henderson stated. "Winning this championship is an accomplishment, because weve waited a long time for it. It feels good."

Duke wrested control of the contest early with a barrage of three-pointers which highlighted a 14-0 burst.

Henderson got things started with a trey, then Singler highlighted the run with three consecutive triples for a 23-11 score with 8:50 left before the intermission.

Singleton broke the string with a three of his own to bring FSU's deficit back below double digits, but Henderson connected again from long distance for a 26-14 Blue Devils lead. Scheyer followed with a three and Duke was ahead by 15 points with 7:11 to play.

Nolan Smith's slam opened up a 33-16 edge with just over 3 1/2 minutes left, and the Blue Devils coasted to the break up 35-21.

"We came out a little flat for some reason," Loucks admitted. "They came out on fire and we didn't have an answer for their three-balls."

Game Notes

Krzyzewski now has 758 wins as the head coach at Duke, ranking him sixth in Division I history for victories at one school and second among active coaches (Jim Boeheim, Syracuse, 797)...Duke leads the all-time series, 29-6, and swept all three meetings this season...Scheyer, Singler and Henderson each hit four three-pointers in the contest as Duke finished 12-of-25 from long range...Florida State's last men's hoops title of any kind came in 1991, when it won the Metro Conference championship.



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