Michigan
Duke
U-M Drops Fourth Straight to Top-Ranked Blue Devils
12/9/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
DURHAM, N.C. -- The University of Michigan men's basketball team lost to No. 1-ranked Duke University 104-61 on Saturday (Dec. 9) in Cameron Indoor Stadium. LaVell Blanchard (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) led the Maize and Blue with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Bernard Robinson Jr. (Washington, D.C./New Hampton Prep) added 19 points, 17 of which came in the second half. U-M had a season-low 18 points in the first half and a season-high 29 turnovers for the game.
Duke (9-0) came out the gates quickly with the first nine points of the game before Chris Young (Plymouth, Mich./Detroit Catholic Central HS) got Michigan (2-5) on the board at the 16:37 mark from Avery Queen (Moreno Valley, Calif./Redemption Academy). The Blue Devils' defense then took over with full-court pressure, forcing 20 first-half turnovers which led to 21 points. Duke went on a 25-0 run to extend its lead to 34-2.
U-M was hurt by foul trouble as Josh Asselin (Caro, Mich./Caro HS) had four fouls in the first 10 minutes of the game. Maurice Searight (Orchard Lake, Mich./St. Mary HS) put Michigan into double digits with five minutes left to play in the half. The Wolverines, who shot 21 percent in the first period, were down as many as 43 in the half and went into halftime down 59-18. The Blue Devils shot 65.5 percent from the field and were 6-10 from three-point range, with nine different players scoring by intermission.
The Wolverines came out of the locker room with a spark, and U-M went on a 14-4 run to start the half. Using a back-door cut off Duke's overplay on the wings, Robinson Jr. dunked on Michigan's first possession. Robinson would then add a three-pointer, and after Young took his second charge of the night, Blanchard came right back with another Michigan three. Queen and Blanchard then demonstrated the perfect two-on-one fast break for a deuce, cutting into Duke's large margin at the 15:15 mark.
For the rest of the half, the two teams traded baskets. Michigan was more effective running its offense as it scored 43 second-half points and had some high-flying highlights. Robinson Jr. quieted the Cameron Crazies with a one-handed tomahawk jam with five minutes left in the half.
In the closing minutes, Michigan's "Soul Patrol" -- Colin Dill (Saginaw, Mich./Birmingham Country Day), Ron Garber (Golden Valley, Minn./Hopkins HS), Herb Gibson (Taylor, Mich./Truman HS), Mike Gotfredson (Gross Pointe Farms, Mich./South HS) and Rotolu Adebiyi (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron HS) -- made its first appearance in Cameron Indoor Stadium and held the Blue Devils scoreless in the final minute and a half. Gibson ended up with two points and a block, Garber adding his own rejection, and Gotfredson and Adebiyi added a rebound apiece.
The Wolverines shot 61 percent in the second half, going 16-26 from the field, and came within two points of playing Duke even (45-43) in the final 20 minutes.
After playing its last three games on the road, Michigan will return home to face Bowling Green on Wednesday (Dec. 13) at 7 p.m. in Crisler Arena.
N O T E S
-- With his 20 points and 10 rebounds, LaVell Blanchard had his 12th career double-double, and third this season.
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
