DURHAM, N.C. — Nolan Smith scored a season-high 28 points to help No. 1 Duke beat Miami 74-63 on Sunday night in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams.
Reserve guard Andre Dawkins added 16 points for the Blue Devils (13-0, 1-0), who have won 23 straight games dating to last season’s run to the ACC and NCAA Tournament championships. Kyle Singler had 14 points on a night when the Blue Devils didn’t shoot all that well but still maintained a comfortable lead for much of the game.
Smith had a run of 13 straight points in the first half that gave Duke its double-digit lead, though the Hurricanes (11-4, 0-1) played the reigning national champions basically even the rest of the way.
Smith went 9-of-15 from the field and capped his night with a long 3 — his fourth of the game — to beat the shot clock with about a minute left.
No. 3 Kansas 83, Miami, Ohio 56
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Markieff Morris had 20 points and twin brother Marcus added 18 as the Jayhawks extended the nation’s longest home-court winning streak to 67 games.
Freshman Josh Selby had 18 points for the Jayhawks, one of seven unbeaten teams in Division I.
Orlando Williams had 11 points and Allen Roberts added 10 for Miami (5-9), which had no answer after a 14-0 run put the Jayhawks ahead 33-13 and on track to a 47-21 halftime lead.
“I think the first half was probably the best we’ve looked this year,” Kansas coach Bill Self said.
Miami has lost to the nation’s current top three teams. The Redhawks lost 79-45 at No. 1 Duke and 66-45 at No. 2 Ohio State in November.
No. 8 Villanova 81, Rutgers 65
VILLANOVA, Pa. — Corey Stokes scored 23 points and Corey Fisher had 19 as the Wildcats (12-1) won their seventh straight game.
Stokes, Villanova’s leading scorer at 16.4 points, hit two 3s during an 11-0 run that wiped out a four-point halftime deficit and gave the Wildcats a lead they would never surrender.
No. 21 Memphis 91, Tennessee St. 86
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Antonio Barton scored 20 of his 24 points in the second half, including two key free throws with 17 seconds left, as the Tigers (11-2) escaped 50 percent 3-point shooting by Tennessee State.
No. 23 Illinois 69, Wisconsin 61
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Demetri McCamey scored 21 points, 11 over the final 5:15, to lead the Illini (12-3).
No. 24 Vanderbilt 80, Davidson 52
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Jeffery Taylor scored 22 points to lead four Commodores in double figures.
Vanderbilt (11-2) played without leading scorer John Jenkins and starting forward Andre Walker, both out with injuries.
The Associated Press
