January 3, 1999

Box Score

By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) - This was supposed to the year that Maryland finally made a stand at home against Duke.

The fourth-ranked Terrapins managed to stay even with their Atlantic Coast Conference rivals for 20 minutes Sunday. Then No. 2 Duke, led by Elton Brand and Trajan Langdon, pulled away to a surprisingly easy 82-64 victory before a stunned sellout crowd at Cole Field House.

The addition of stellar guard Steve Francis to an already solid frontcourt had the Terrapins thinking that they could end a skid of 11 losses in 13 home games against Duke, including a 32-point lashing exactly one year earlier.

Instead, Duke reeled off 13 straight points early in the second half to dispel any thoughts Maryland had of terminating its string of frustration against the Blue Devils.

"To be honest I didn't think we were going to lose. A loss like that is a shock to me," said Francis, who failed to make a basket in the second half.

"We knew they were going to feel they're better than us and even further motivated by the way we played up here last year," said Langdon, who scored 12 of his 16 points after halftime. "We won, so that showed we were better than them today."

Again.

Except for the timing, Duke's recipe for success was virtually identical to the formula that worked so well last year at Maryland, when the Blue Devils made their first four 3-pointers and turned an early 14-point lead into a rout.

This time, Duke waited until the start of the second half. Brand had 19 points and 13 rebounds for the Blue Devils (13-1, 2-0) and sparked the run that all but finished the Terrapins (13-2, 1-1).

After an exchange of baskets made it 39-39 with 18:19 left, Brand hit a layup and a short jumper to start a run of 13 straight points that included two free throws and a 3-pointer by William Avery.

Maryland, meanwhile, missed nine of its first 10 shots and committed eight turnovers in the opening eight minutes. It was 58-42 before Terence Morris made a layup - the Terrapins' second basket of the half - with 11:39 to go.

By that time, Duke was all but assured its eighth straight win. After the margin reached 20 points with 3:36 left, fans who paid up to $500 a ticket began heading toward the exits.

"We were in pretty good shape after the first half," Maryland center Obinna Ekezie said. "Coming out in the second half we were a totally different team. We couldn't run our offense. On offense, we couldn't get anything done."

Morris scored 16 points and Francis had 11. The Terrapins, whose only previous loss this season came at Kentucky, fell to 7-1 at home.

"A lot of people thought we could win this game," Maryland coach Gary Williams said. "In big games in the past we were the underdog. There's a different type of pressure there."

Shane Battier had 15 points for the Blue Devils despite picking up his fourth foul with 18:57 remaining. Avery also scored 15, but it was Duke's play on the other side of the court that left coach Mike Krzyzewski smiling.

"Our defense was outstanding in the second half," he said. "I thought we played like five guys as one. We didn't give them any transition baskets and that took them out of their game."

Duke took control early, but the Terrapins drew even at halftime.

For Maryland fans, the opening few minutes conjured up dreaded memories of last season's blowout.

The Blue Devils made five of their first six shots in building an 11-4 lead. But a 3-pointer by Francis, a follow-jam by Morris and two foul shots by Francis brought Maryland even with five minutes gone.

The Terrapins then went scoreless for more than four minutes while Duke got four points apiece from Battier and Nate James in an 11-0 run. It was 24-14 before Juan Dixon banked a jumper in the lane to spark a 9-0 spree that brought Maryland back.

Down 32-27, the Terrapins reeled off seven straight points - including a soaring reverse layup by Francis - to take the lead for the first time.