THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 19, 1997 TAG: 9702190586
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DURHAM, N.C. LENGTH: 60 lines
If anyone is going to stop Duke from streaking to the ACC regular-season championship, it will take more than what Clemson had to give Tuesday night.
The red-hot Blue Devils, behind a career game by sophomore guard Trajan Langdon, outgunned the taller Tigers 84-77 in a noisy, jam-packed Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Langdon scored 34 points, the most by an ACC player this season. His previous high had been 28 points against North Carolina last month.
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski called Langdon's performance ``one of the greatest nights in league history.''
Langdon made 11 of 16 field-goal attempts, including a trio of 3-pointers. He hit all nine of his free-throw attempts.
``I am proud of the team, but have to go bonkers over what Trajen did,'' Krzyzewski said.
``I am happy I was here to see it. He put us on his back there. He was the story of the game, and the difference.''
It was the seventh straight win for the sixth-ranked Blue Devils (22-5, 11-3 ACC) and gave them a one-game lead over Wake Forest, which plays North Carolina tonight.
The Blue Devils are assured of finishing no worse than third in the league standings.
Eighth-ranked Clemson, which had hoped to refuel its title hopes, dropped to 20-6, 8-5.
The Tigers, who have lost their last four road games in the league, got 22 points from Greg Buckner.
Clemson had ended a six-game winning streak by Duke in early January with an 86-82 overtime win on its court.
But coach Rick Barnes' Tigers simply did not have the firepower in the rematch to sweep the regular-season series.
``We just dug ourselves too big of a hole,'' Barnes said. ``We came in trying to defend the 3-point line, and they got some easy shots down the middle.''
The Blue Devils opened with a pair of 3-pointers and never trailed.
The score was tied only once, with 3:27 left in the first half.
Duke seemed on the verge of taking firm control in the first half when they scored seven straight points to build a 29-19 lead eight minutes before intermission.
Clemson got the next five points and then Duke's Krzyzewski was hit with a technical foul.
Terrell McIntyre, who had been fouled, went to the line to hit four straight free throws to cut Duke's lead to 29-28.
Two minutes later, Clemson pulled even for the only time on a strong inside goal by Jamison.
Duke finished the half with a 37-33 lead, however, following a 3-pointer by Langden and a two free throws by McLeod. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Duke's Steve Wojciechowski makes a stab at a steal against Clemson's
Iker Iturbe in the first half. Tuesday's win gave Duke a one-game
lead over Wake Forest in the ACC standings.