February 3, 1999

Box Score

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) - Duke put an exclamation mark on its likely rise to the top of the polls.

The second-ranked Blue Devils rocked No. 7 Maryland 95-77 Wednesday night and set a record for the best start in school history behind Shane Battier's career-high 27 points.

The victory came two days after previously unbeaten and No. 1 Connecticut lost at home. A win at Georgia Tech on Saturday should give Duke (22-1, 10-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) the No. 1 ranking for the first time since Nov. 22.

The Blue Devils also won their 17th straight and 34th in a row at Cameron Indoor Stadium to take a commanding three-game lead in the ACC standings over the Terrapins (19-4, 7-3).

Battier, normally Duke's defensive stopper, led six players in double figures. His previous high was 18 against Maryland last year.

Steve Francis and Laron Profit led the Terrapins with 18 points each.

Duke led by 10 at halftime, but quickly took command of the game in the first 6:14 of the second period, going on a 22-8 run to grab a 72-48 lead.

Trajan Langdon, in a mini shooting slump, broke out with consecutive 3-pointers 19 seconds apart during the Duke run. Langdon was 6 of his last 23 3-pointers before hitting the pair that broke the game open.

Meanwhile, reserve Nate James added six points and Battier had five in the spurt as Duke ran its record to 28-5 against Maryland since 1985.

Duke stretched its lead to 28 points with 10 minutes left as the Cameron Crazies chanted "overrated" at the Terrapins, who also lost to Duke by 18 at College Park, Md., on Jan. 3.

Duke's previous best start was in 1991-92 when the team began 21-1 en route to the national championship.