Duke wins again, improves to 13-0

Duke's Ryan Kelly (34) shoots over Davidson's Nik Cochran (12) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013. Duke won 67-50. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

Duke's Ryan Kelly (34) shoots over Davidson's Nik Cochran (12) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013. Duke won 67-50. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

Thursday, January 3, 2013

— It was supposed to be Seth Curry’s homecoming - then Ryan Kelly stole the show.

Kelly scored 18 points to help top-ranked Duke remain unbeaten with a 67-50 victory over Davidson on Wednesday night.

Quinn Cook scored 15 points and Mason Plumlee scored eight of his 10 in the second half for the Blue Devils (13-0), who are one of only four undefeated teams remaining in Division I. Tyler Thornton added 10 points, including a pair of three-pointers in the second half to spark Duke.

“For our guys to go 13-0 with our nonconference schedule is just magnificent,” Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “It’s terrific.”

The game was tied at 29 at halftime before Duke opened the second half with a 12-0 run. The Blue Devils, who led by as many as 19 in the second half, heated up from three-point range after the break, going 3 for 4 in the early minutes of the period. During that six-minute span to open the second half the Wildcats had nine empty possessions.

“That’s when they made their run,” Davidson Coach Bob McKillop said. “You wipe that six minutes out, well.

...But that’s why Duke is number one. Somehow they are going to make you pay during that six-minute period. They’ve done that in every game they played this year.”

Curry, playing in front of his hometown fans and against his older brother Stephen’s alma mater, had a rough night, finishing with 6 points on 3-of-11 shooting. Earlier in the day, Stephen Curry - who plays for the Golden State Warriors - wrote on Twitter that he was rooting for Davidson but hoping his brother scored 30-plus points.

That didn’t happen, but Kelly picked up the slack, hitting 5 of 8 from the field - including 3 for 4 from threepoint range.

In other games involving top 25 teams,Deshaun Thomas outscored visiting Nebraska in the first half 18-17 and finished with 22 points to lead No. 8 Ohio State (11-2, 1-0) past the Cornhuskers (9-5, 0-1) 70-44. ... Russ Smith scored a game-high 23 points and No. 4 Louisville (13-1, 1-0) shot 53 percent to run away from Providence (8-5, 0-1) 80-62. ... Jim Boeheim notched his 903rd career victory, breaking a tie with Bob Knight for second all-time among Division I men’s coaches, and No. 7 Syracuse (13-1, 1-0) rolled past visiting Rutgers (9-3, 0-1) 78-53. ... Roosevelt Jones scored a career-high 24 points to lead No. 17 Butler (11-2) over visiting Penn (2-10) 70-57, the Bulldogs’ eighth consecutive victory. ... Junior forward Ethan Wragge was 6 of 9 from three-point range for his 18 points to lead No. 16 Creighton (13-1, 2-0) to a 79-72 victory over Illinois State (9-5, 0-2) in Normal, Ill., in a Missouri Valley Conference game. ... Terone Johnson scored a career-high 25 points and D.J.Byrd spurred a key 19-3 second-half run to send Purdue (7-6, 1-0 Big Ten) past No. 11 Illinois (13-2, 0-1) 68-61 in West Lafayette, Ind. ... Jamaal Franklin had 18 points and 12 rebounds, and Chase Tapley scored 14 points to lead No. 19 San Diego State (12-2) to a 72-57 victory against visiting Cal State Bakersfield.

SEC MEN Kentucky rips E. Michigan

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Point guard Ryan Harrow finished with 15 points and a seasonhigh eight assists, and Kentucky rolled Eastern Michigan for a 90-38 victory in the Wildcats’ final nonconference game of the season.

Kentucky (9-4) never struggled against the Eagles (7-6), using nine consecutive points to create separation early and a 17-2 run in the first half.

Archie Goodwin (Sylvan Hills) scored eight points for Kentucky.

Glenn Bryant led the Eagles with 10 points.

In another SEC game, Frankie Sullivan scored 24 points and Allen Payne added 17 as host Auburn defeated Florida State 78-72 in the Tigers’ nonconference finale. Auburn (6-7) trailed by as many as 12 points in the first half before outscoring the Seminoles (8-5) 21-10 down the stretch in the first half to cut Florida State’s lead to 36-35 by halftime. Sullivan scored 18 of his 24 points in the first half, keeping the Tigers in the game as they battled back from the early deficit. Payne scored nine points in the second half as the Tigers took the lead.

Sports, Pages 18 on 01/03/2013