Feb. 27, 2001

Box Score

By DAVID DROSCHAK
AP Sports Writer

DURHAM, N.C. - Maryland's highest and lowest moments of the season have both come against No. 2 Duke.

The 16th-ranked Terrapins blew a 10-point lead in the final minute a month ago at home, but got revenge in Cameron Indoor Stadium by beating the Blue Devils 91-80 Tuesday night.

"I can't say enough about our character," Maryland coach Gary Williams said. "To go through what we did in College Park, to lose a game like we did and then come down here and get the win, that's really big."

Williams enjoyed a laugh when asked if it was a good time of the year to get a big win.

"Yeah, but I would have taken it about a month ago, too," Williams said. "This keeps our momentum going."

Juan Dixon was the offensive and defensive hero for the Terrapins (19-9, 9-6 Atlantic Coast Conference), scoring 28 points and getting five steals.

"I said we were back on track a couple of games ago," said Dixon, who was 11-for-20 from the field. "We just needed one win and after that I said we were back and we're showing it now. Hopefully a lot of people will believe us, if not, we've just going to keep playing our type of basketball."

"Dixon was literally sensational," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said.

Jason Williams reinjured his sore calf in the second half and Duke played the final 9 1/2 minutes without center Carlos Boozer, who hurt his right foot. Krzyzewski said he believed Boozer broke a bone in his right foot.

"I just know there is a slight fracture," Krzyzewski said. "I would say for the next couple of weeks we're not going to have him."

Lonny Baxter added 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Terence Morris had 13 points and 12 rebounds as the Terrapins dominated the boards in winning at Duke for the second straight season. Dixon had 31 here last year.

Shane Battier led Duke with 31 points in his last game in Cameron, getting 19 in the first half, but watched Duke (25-4, 12-3) crumble in the second half.

"We didn't do a very good job of taking the ball to the basket and putting game pressure on them," Duke forward Mike Dunleavy said. "It seemed like we were settling for 3s and we were going to do it that way. We soon found out that wasn't going to work."

Duke led 60-51 with 15:20 left, but missed 25 of its first 31 shots of the final half, going more than eight minutes without a basket as Maryland took over.

Dixon's floater in the lane with six minutes left gave the Terrapins the lead for good at 70-69 and his steal and fastbreak layup on Duke's next trip down the floor seemed to take the wind out of the already tired and injured Blue Devils.

The Terrapins, who shot 53 percent in the second half, sealed it from the foul line, making 10 of 11 over the final 1:34.

Duke's second half was its worst of the season, going 9-for-37 from the field, including 3-for-19 from 3-point range.

"In order to beat Maryland we really have to be on top of our game because they are on the top of their game right now," Krzyzewski said. "Especially Dixon."

Maryland lost four of five after the Duke loss on Jan. 27, but have rebounded to win four in a row, including over ranked teams Wake Forest, Oklahoma and the Blue Devils, who had beaten the Terrapins eight of nine coming in.

"We've work a lot on our confidence as a team," Gary Williams said. "We never quit, which this stretch shows. We could have quit with what happened last time against Duke, but we didn't. I have good seniors."

Maryland controlled a majority of the first half as Duke started 6-for-17 from the field.

The Terrapins were up by nine, but Duke's press began to bother Maryland as the Blue Devils closed with a 23-7 run over the final 4:50.

Battier was the main offensive weapon in the spurt, scoring nine points in a span of 1:02 as the Blue Devils made five 3-pointers in four minutes to go up by seven at the break.

Battier's second 3-pointer in the run was from 25 feet as Duke was 7-for-14 from beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes - four coming from Battier.

"It's obviously disappointing," Battier said. "I would have loved to go out with a win, but I've had so many great experiences in Cameron. To dwell on a loss would cheapen that experience."