Ho-hum in Durham
Brand scores 33 as Duke dismantles Virginia 115-69
Posted: Sunday January 10, 1999 07:44 PM
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30-30 club: Elton Brand (right) powered his way inside for a career-high 33 points as Duke won its 31st straight home game AP |
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) -- Pete Gillen's Atlantic Coast Conference career is only four games old, but the Virginia coach knows what it takes to win in arguably the best college league in the nation.
"You have to have two or three [future] pros in your lineup to play in this league," Gillen said Sunday after his Cavaliers were pounded by No. 2 Duke 115-69. "If you don't, you have no chance."
A reporter then asked Gillen to list Duke's future pros.
"They have nine of them," Gillen shot back. "You name them -- everybody. [Taymon] Domzalski was a high school All-American and he can't even get into the game. We would build a monument to him at Virginia, right next to Thomas Jefferson."
Elton Brand powered his way inside for a career-high 33 points as Duke won its 31st straight home game against a team that dressed only six scholarship players.
The 6-foot-8, 270-pound Brand was nearly unstoppable, hitting 12 of 14 shots from the field and nine of 11 from the foul line. His point total beat his previous high of 26 earlier this season against North Carolina State.
"The sign of a great player is when he has an advantage he really exploits that advantage," teammate Shane Battier said of Brand, who was playing against much smaller Virginia players. "Last year ... when he knew he was better he would let up."
Duke (15-1, 4-0 ACC) reached the 100-point mark for the sixth time this season. The Blue Devils' home winning streak is the second-longest in the nation and five shy of the ACC record.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers (9-7, 0-4) have lost 14 of their past 16 in Cameron Indoor Stadium and are off to their worst ACC start since 1989-90.
"Sure, we talked about winning," Gillen said. "But we knew it was almost impossible. They are a better team than Connecticut, and that's no disrespect to them. And this is the toughest place to play in the country."
Freshman Corey Maggette scored a season-high 21 points for Duke and Trajan Langdon had 17. Duke outrebounded the smaller Cavaliers by 20 and blocked a school-record 17 shots -- one shy of the ACC mark.
"Corey is as good as any freshman in the league," said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. "I wouldn't trade him for any freshman. To his credit, he wants to be on an outstanding team and whatever role he has is OK with him."
The 115 points were the most Duke has scored against Virginia since getting 136 on Feb. 11, 1965.
"This was frustrating," said Gillen. "It's tough when you have one hand tied behind your back."
The one Hand Virginia did have was Donald, who matched his career high with 24 points. ACC scoring leader Chris Williams added 15 despite being plagued with foul trouble.
Duke led by 14 at halftime, then went on a 20-9 run to start the second half as Brand scored on two layups, a six-footer in the lane and a three-point play for a 71-46 lead with 14:36 left.
Virginia, which lost by 44 at Duke last year, never got closer than 17 the rest of the way.
Duke began the game with an 18-4 run, and it appeared another rout was on. But Williams and Hand sparked a 23-12 run as Virginia closed to 30-27 six minutes before halftime. The surge was fueled by a full-court zone press the Blue Devils initially had trouble handling.
But like most good teams, Duke adjusted and got its fast break in high gear, closing the half with a 21-10 run that included eight points from Maggette and six from Brand.
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