Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus #7 UConn on March 29, 2026 , Loss , 72, to, 73
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Final
Men's Basketball
72
vs #7 UConn
73
Men's Basketball Game Notes: vs. George Mason, Dec. 9, 12 noon, ESPN
12/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
DURHAM, N.C. - Duke (8-1), tied for seventh in the AP poll and ninth in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll, faces unranked George Mason (4-3) on Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Tip-off is set for 12:02 p.m. with ESPN televising the contest.
The Blue Devils are coming off a 57-45 home win over Holy Cross on Wednesday. The 45 points allowed, including just 17 in the second half, marked the fifth time this season Duke has allowed fewer than 50 points in a game. The Blue Devils are giving up an ACC-best 51.4 points per game on the season.
Duke trailed 28-22 at the half before outscoring Holy Cross 35-17 over the final 20 minutes of play. The Blue Devils held Holy Cross to just seven made field goals and 29.2 percent shooting in the second half. Meanwhile, Duke knocked down 11-of-18 second half field goal attempts en route to its top scoring half (35 points) since the second half (41 points) of the Davidson game on Nov. 25.
Junior DeMarcus Nelson and sophomore Josh McRoberts shared top scoring honors with 13 points apiece. Freshman Gerald Henderson added eight points including a pair of three-point field goals, while Jon Scheyer posted a career-high seven rebounds to go along with five points and three assists.
With the win over the Crusaders, Duke extended its home non-conference win streak to 47 games, the longest current streak in the nation.
Storylines
- Duke is 38-3 all-time against current members of the Colonial Athletic Association. The Blue Devils have won 26 straight against CAA foes, including a 21 straight under Mike Krzyzewski. Coach K is a perfect 21-0 against the CAA while at Duke. The Blue Devils' last loss to a Colonial Athletic Association team was an 85-82 overtime decision against William & Mary on Feb. 19, 1953.
- Duke leads the country in consecutive non-conference home wins with 47. The next closest streak is 37 straight non-conference home wins by Utah State. Duke's last home loss against a non-conference foe was an 83-82 decision against St. John's on Feb. 26, 2000. The 47 straight non-conference home wins is the second-longest streak in school history. The Blue Devils won 95 consecutive non-conference home tilts from Feb. 2, 1983 through Nov. 29, 1995.
- The Blue Devils have 19 home games on the schedule this season, the most in school history. The previous high was 17 during the 1996-97 season. Duke went 15-2 at Cameron Indoor Stadium that season. The school record for home wins in a season is 16 set in 1990-91 when the team was a perfect 16-0 at home. The Blue Devils are 7-0 at home this season, marking the 33rd time (1936, 1940, 1942, 1950, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006) in school history the team has opened with seven straight home wins.
- Duke University will be accepting new or used toys as well as canned goods for Toys for Tots benefiting the Durham Rescue Mission at Saturday's game with George Mason. Duke will also be collecting both items at Sunday's women's game against Texas.
- Turnovers have slowed the Blue Devil offense through the first nine games. Duke ranks last in the ACC in scoring at 68.1 ppg. and turnover margin (-1.22) and next to last in assist-to-turnover ratio (0:69:1). The Blue Devils enter the George Mason game with 160 turnovers and 111 assists. Duke has finished the year with more turnovers than assists just five times (1980-81, 1981-82, 1982-83, 2002-03 & 2004-05) under Coach K. The Blue Devils also have 11 more turnovers (160 to 149) than their opponents this season. Duke has finished with more turnovers than its opponents just two times (1981-82 & 1982-83) under Krzyzewski. The 1994-95 team, when Coach K was sidelined after the first 12 games, also had more turnovers than the opposition for the year.
- The Blue Devils have outrebounded eight of their first nine opponents this year. Duke ranks fifth in the ACC with an +8.2 rebound margin. Sophomore Josh McRoberts leads the team and is 10th in the ACC at 6.7 rpg., while three others (DeMarcus Nelson, David McClure & Jamal Boykin) average 4.0 rpg. or better. Last season, the Blue Devils were 10th in the conference with a -2.7 rebound margin. Duke grabbed a season-high 15 offensive rebounds in Wednesday's win over Holy Cross and has now registered 10 or more offensive boards in eight of the first nine games this season.
- Duke held Holy Cross to 45 points on Wednesday, marking the fifth time in nine games that it has held the opponent under 50 points in a game. The five games under 50 marks the fourth time (1981-82, 1997-98, 2004-05 & 2006-07) a Krzyzewski-led team has accomplished that feat. The Blue Devils limited Holy Cross to 17 second half points, marking the fifth time Duke has held an opponent under 20 points in a half this season. By holding held the Crusaders to 28 first half points and 17 second half points, Duke has now held its opponents under 30 points in a half 12 times (12-of-18, 66.7 pct.).
- Sophomore Josh McRoberts, a preseason Wooden Award and Naismith Trophy candidate, is among the most versatile big men in the country. The 6-10, 240-pound forward is averaging 11.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 blocks per game.
- Junior DeMarcus Nelson scored 13 points in Wednesday's win over Holy Cross. He has now scored in double-figures in eight of nine games this season. Duke is 7-1 on the year and 20-3 in his career when Nelson reaches double-figures in scoring.
- Freshman Jon Scheyer has been one of Duke's most consistent players through nine games. The Northbrook, Ill., native has reached double-figures in scoring five times and is third on the team in scoring at 9.3 ppg. He is shooting 41.9 percent (13-of-31) from three-point distance and ranks ninth in the conference in free throw percentage (.794- 27-of-34). In Wednesday's win over Holy Cross, Scheyer scored just five points (on five shots), but added a career-high seven rebounds and team-leading three assists.
Players Mentioned
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