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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Duke expected a long, inspirational
speech from Chris Carrawell when the team's lone senior called a
meeting before Sunday's ACC tournament title victory over Maryland.
The message was more to the point.
|  | | Shane Battier celebrates after the Blue Devils claimed the ACC tournament crown. |
"There was a revenge factor, I'm not going to lie," Carrawell
said following an 81-68 victory over the only ACC team to beat the
Blue Devils (No. 2 ESPN/USA Today, No. 3 AP) in the last two seasons. "I was like, 'Look, we're not
going to lose this game.' It was embarrassing, they beat us at home,
celebrated on our court."
The Blue Devils (27-4) secured a No. 1 seed in the NCAA
Tournament and probably the nation's top ranking with their
convincing win over Maryland (No. 19 ESPN/USA Today, No. 20 AP), who was making its first
championship game appearance in 16 years.
Duke should ascend to No. 1 after losses by Cincinnati and
Stanford -- teams ahead of the Blue Devils in the poll.
"I thought we won the tournament because of our defense, not
our offense," said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, who brought one of
the nets to his postgame news conference.
Duke's freshmen led the way this time when Jason Williams scored
a season-high 23 points and Carlos Boozer added 21 as the
top-seeded Blue Devils became the first program since the 1973 and
1974 North Carolina State teams to win consecutive outright ACC
regular-season and tourney titles.
Krzyzewski won his fifth ACC crown. The veteran coach pulled his
starters with 33 seconds left and gave each a bear hug near the
bench.
Juan Dixon led the second-seeded Terrapins (24-9) with 19
points.
"We struggled a little bit with our rotation, getting the right
people in the right spots," said Maryland coach Gary Williams.
"That's going to happen sometimes during a game, but against a
team as good as Duke, you're going to pay the price."
Maryland had to go the final 32½ minutes without starting
forward Danny Miller, who injured his left ankle trying to block a
shot on a breakaway layup by Mike Dunleavy.
"When you lose a guy that's averaging 33 minutes a game, it
affects your game time," Gary Williams said of Miller's loss.
The Blue Devils' home loss to the Terrapins a month ago snapped
their ACC regular-season record 31-game winning streak, but the
second half belonged to Duke and the team's youngsters this time.
Williams, the team's point guard, scored 15 of his points in the
second half and got Duke's outside game going with a 3-pointer to
open the half. Boozer scored 11 points after the break, taking care
of Duke's inside game.
"We wanted to go into Carlos, and he responded in an amazing
way," Krzyzewski said of the 6-foot-9 Boozer. "It is kind of nice
when your best game is in a championship game. That was his best
game against a great player in (Lonny) Baxter."
After struggling from the outside in the opening 20 minutes and
leading by a point at halftime, the Blue Devils came out by hitting
their first three 3-pointers to begin pulling away. They made 64
percent of their shots in the second half.
Maryland trimmed a 10-point lead to four at 56-52 with 8:50
left, but Williams hit a 3-pointer and got a goaltending call, and
Boozer converted a three-point play and Duke was en route to its
11th ACC crown.
"We got a 10-point lead and I thought we lost our focus,"
Krzyzewski said of a timeout he called to regroup his team for the
stretch run. "I tried to stress poise in that time, and boy they
showed it from then on. We almost scored just about every time we
had the ball after that."
Williams' previous career high was 22 against North Carolina A&T
on Dec. 12, 1999.
"I've had a lot of roller coasters as everyone can see with my
six turnovers today, but when you have players around you that give
you an extra boost, and who are always on you to be the best, they
help you out," said Williams, who became only the fourth freshman
to win the tourney MVP award.
Duke made a combined 30 of 59 3-pointers in its first two games
of the tourney, but struggled from long range in the opening 20
minutes, going 1-for-11.
But Maryland's offense was just as ineffective early as the Blue
Devils took a 25-13 lead 8:50 before the break, going on an 11-2
run as four different players scored.
The Terrapins countered with an 8-0 run of their own as Dixon
and Terence Morris sank 3-pointers 34 seconds apart as both teams
began to heat up from the field.
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ALSO SEE
Mens College Basketball Scoreboard
Maryland Clubhouse
Duke Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Jason Williams draws the foul and gets the ball to drop.
avi: 968 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
David Klatsky fires away from three point land.
avi: 648 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Juan Dixon hauls in the full-court pass to convert the basket.
avi: 776 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Mike Dunleavy makes the steal and converts at the other end.
avi: 667 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
 Shane Battier gives credit to his entire team.
wav: 121 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Jason Williams says Duke's D was responsible for the victory.
wav: 73 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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