Scheyer's offensive output helped get the Blue Devils to 2-0 in the ACC

Box Score            Official Game Notes 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Jon Scheyer scored 21 points and No. 7 Duke made eight straight free throws in the final 1:34 to beat Florida State 70-57 on Wednesday night, snapping an unlikely two-game losing streak to the Seminoles.

Florida State took its only lead of the second half at 55-54 on Jason Rich's layup with 3:45 left before Duke put the game away with a closing 16-2 run, Kyle Singler's 3-pointer put the Blue Devils ahead for good with 3:30 to play.

Duke (14-1, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) nearly blew a 17-point lead it built in the first half on a 16-0 run led by Scheyer, who had 10 points on a variety of shots in a span of just 1:35.

The Blue Devils led 34-22 at halftime before Rich, who had all 18 of his points in the second half, keyed the comeback by Florida State (12-6, 1-2).

Toney Douglas added 13 points for Florida State while Uche Echefu, who had 24 points and 12 rebounds in a double-overtime loss at Clemson on Saturday, was held to six points and seven rebounds.

Gerald Henderson added 11 points and Singler had 10 for Duke. Henderson's eight rebounds helped the Blue Devils to a 44-32 advantage on the boards.

Duke managed to get the road win despite shooting 43.9 percent and committing 20 turnovers. Florida State shot 35.5 percent.

Mark's take - Let's face it, Duke hasn't had a lot of luck in Tallahassee of late.   This game should prove a good test for the freshman and be a barometer to see how far the rest of the team has come.  The Noles will throw a wave of guards at Duke, but like Duke, they are a bit thin down low.  FSU is also a dangerous free throw shooting team, so it would be nice for Duke to counter by hitting theirs.  As always, Duke must keep key players out of foul trouble.  It would be nice to see them take their three point shooting percentage from the UVA game over too.  I expect a tough game tonight, still, I think the Devils will rise to the occasion and pull out a 75-70 win.

Congrats to Bob for missing last weeks game score by a bucket.

Duke Off vs. Florida St. Def Florida St. Off vs. Duke Def 85.5 Pts F 66.4 Pts A 48.7 FG% 42.9 FG% 35.1 Reb. 28.3 Reb. 75.9 Pts F 63.5 Pts A 47.2 FG% 40.4 FG% 28.3 Reb. 31.4 Reb.

Bob's take - Duke has struggled recently in Tallahassee going 2-3 over the past five trips. Florida State has suffered some injuries and has been utilizing a six man rotation. FSU has three players averaging over 30 minutes per game with three more averaging over 20. The Seminoles have played a four guard line-up extensively this season. However, 6'10" Freshman Julian Vaughn made an appearance against Clemson and should be available to log minutes. Duke is utilizing a nine man rotation with only Senior Captain DeMarcus Nelson averaging over 30 minutes per game. The Blue Devils appear to have both a depth and size advantage over the Seminoles.

Duke will be motivated to build on their impressive victory over Virginia by taking it to FSU in Tallahassee. In order to be successful, the Blue Devils will need to play tough perimeter defense against FSU's talented guards. Clemson has made 124 (37.2%) 3-pointers this season so they are dangerous from long range. On offense, look for Duke to press their size advantage by posting up mismatched defenders. One technique utilized has been having interior players move out to the perimeter allowing Henderson and Nelson to work inside. Moreover, Duke must knock down open shots. The Blue Devils have been firing away from behind the 3-point arc, sinking 130 (40.2%) on the season, and will need to bury their 3s in order to bury the Seminoles.

My prediction: Duke 80 - FSU 74.