ETHAN HYMAN - ehyman@newsobserver.com
Duke's Jon Scheyer (30) avoids the pressure of Florida State's Chris Singleton and Derwin Kitchen (22) during the second half of Duke's 70-56 victory.
DURHAM -- Jon Scheyer shook Duke out of the doldrums of a second-half drought Wednesday in a 70-56 defeat of Florida State that once again illustrated the value of the Blue Devils' stingy defense.
After eighth-ranked Duke was held scoreless for nearly six minutes and saw a 16-point lead cut to four, Scheyer got free with the ball at the free throw line. The senior point guard swished a jump shot, and later passed out to Kyle Singler for a 3-pointer to end a seven-point mini-run that extended the Blue Devils' lead to 58-47 with 5:49 remaining.
Scheyer scored 22 points and handed out five assists, and Singler scored 20 with seven rebounds to lead the Blue Devils.
"When you're playing at home, there's almost more pressure on you, because you can be a little bit hesitant," said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. "I thought after [the lead was cut to four], our guys played with great character."
Duke lived up to Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton's expectations with a solid defensive performance to stay near the top of the ACC standings.
The Blue Devils (17-3, 5-2 ACC) are the first ACC team with five conference wins. Maryland (14-5, 4-1) and Virginia (12-5, 3-1) have fewer ACC losses than Duke, but the Blue Devils have bounced back after last week's loss at N.C. State to be prepared to claim at least a share of first place should the Terrapins and Cavaliers fall.
Hamilton said Monday that Duke is the best team in the ACC, and repeated his assertion after the game.
"They're playing the best basketball in the ACC because their players are really playing together, to a level of maturity that our players haven't gotten to yet," Hamilton said.
Duke's defense, which has been excellent for much of the season, was outstanding again. Florida State (15-5, 3-3) committed 22 turnovers, 10 more than the Blue Devils.
During part of the seven-point rally when the Blue Devils regained control, Krzyzewski moved the team out of his traditional man-to-man to a zone defense.
"Coach kind of did it just to give them a different look," Singler said, "and I think it kind of screwed them up."
Florida State's troubles on offense started immediately. Fourteen seconds into the game center Solomon Alabi was whistled for a foul while jostling for post position in the low post with Lance Thomas, giving the ball to Duke.
By the time four minutes elapsed, Florida State had turned it over five times. While the visitors struggled, Scheyer got to work overcoming a personal cold streak.
Over the previous five games, Scheyer had shot just 9-for-37 from 3-point range after opening the season as one of the ACC's hottest perimeter shooters. With 7-foot-1 Alabi and 6-9 Chris Singleton choking off the lane with their long arms, Scheyer made three of his five 3-point attempts and scored 13 points in the first half as Duke led 39-29 at halftime.
Scheyer was 4-for-6 from 3-point range for the game.
Singler asserted himself on offense early in the second half with a driving layup, a 3-pointer from the corner and two free throws to extend Duke's lead to 51-35. But the Blue Devils suddenly went cold as freshman guard Michael Snaer scored nine quick points and Florida State pulled to within 51-47.
The Seminoles had a chance to cut even deeper into the lead as Duke committed the cardinal sin of allowing offensive rebounds off missed free throws three times on the same possession.
A traveling call on Snaer finally ended that possession, though, and Scheyer ended a Duke's drought - which lasted 5:48 - with his jump shot from the free throw line.
"We showed great resolve tonight because Florida State's really good," Krzyzewski said. "It's tough to score. They're huge, and they move their feet."
