Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 12, 1992 TAG: 9201120087
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL BRILL SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: DURHAM, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
DUKE BEDEVILS JACKETS
How good was Duke's basketball team on Saturday?"They're a delight to watch. They are really great. They have something you always want. They have tremendous confidence in themselves and they know how to win."
The speaker of those words was Bobby Cremins, the coach of Georgia Tech's 14th-ranked Yellow Jackets who had just witnessed a second-half demolition in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Duke led by 27 points late and breezed by Tech 97-84 for its 10th win this season and 16th straight overall. The Blue Devils are 4-0 and atop the ACC.
The victory, stunning in its efficiency until the last 2:09, featured Christian Laettner, with Bobby Hurley as the architect.
Going against a host of NBA-size bodies inside, Laettner got the ball easily and did plenty with it.
He scored 33 points, making 15 of 19 shots, and claimed a game-high 11 rebounds as Duke dominated that department against the biggest team the Blue Devils have played this year. Laettner's previous high in an ACC game had been 29 against Wake Forest.
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said he could see it coming in practice all week.
"I don't think I was any more intense," said Laettner, the 6-foot-11 senior All-American. "I just had a good week shooting, and today I got the ball in the post 40 times."
Sporting a new, shaggy crew cut that he blamed on roommate Brian Davis, Laettner took over the game after a rare occasion - he missed both ends of a two-shot free-throw with Tech ahead 27-24.
But that foul, with 7:46 left before halftime, was the third on 7-foot Matt Geiger and Cremins took him out. Duke immediately took advantage by pounding the ball inside to Laettner.
In the next 2 minutes, 21 seconds, Laettner scored 12 consecutive points, including a 3-pointer, a three-point play and a driving layup with his left hand.
"After I made the three-pointer, things just opened up," Laettner said. "They were guarding me one-on-one, and I think I can drive past any big guy."
Cremins believes. "We have the Naismith Award [player of the year] in Atlanta and I have a vote. Right now, I'm voting for Laettner. He's outstanding," he said.
He had a lot of help, starting with Hurley.
Just before halftime, with Duke holding a 45-41 lead, Laettner got the ball at the free-throw line with only three seconds left on the clock. Instead of hurrying a shot, he spotted Hurley alone on the wing.
Hurley, master of the clutch 3-pointers, drained one for a seven-point halftime lead.
"Christian is so composed in the post. When he passes out to me, I hit a high percentage. Maybe he has the magic touch," Hurley said.
Certainly, Hurley was like Houdini on the Duke's fast break, which helped the Blue Devils shoot 64.7 percent (22-of-34) in the last half and 59.4 percent (41-of-69) for the game.
Hurley, who scored 17 points after making only 22 percent of his shots in previous ACC games, had 12 assists, nine in the second half, against only two turnovers.
"I'm trying to cut down on the risky passes," Hurley said.
When the Hills, Grant and Thomas, are flying on transition, that has become easy to do.
Grant Hill added to his "I don't believe it!" dunk collection with a soaring jam that made it 91-69. Duke led earlier, 85-58, against a team that is 12-3, 2-1 in the ACC. The Blue Devils scored on 13 consecutive possessions.
"I wish I could blame my team a little," Cremins said. "Duke has so many parts. It's going to take a really experienced team to beat them." \
see microfilm for box score