Nov. 17, 2000

Box Score

By JOHN MARSHALL
Associated Press Writer

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) - Carlos Boozer had 22 points and coach Mike Krzyzewski won his 500th game at Duke as the second-ranked Blue Devils beat Villanova 98-85 Friday night in the Preseason NIT.

Duke (2-0) started slow, but wore the Wildcats down with relentless pressure. The Blue Devils forced 29 turnovers, including 18 in the first half.

Michael Bradley, a transfer from Kentucky, led Villanova (1-1) with 28 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. He hit 12 of 16 shots for the Wildcats.

The Blue Devils will play Texas in the semifinals Wednesday at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Shane Battier, who set a Duke record with nine 3-pointers against Princeton, had 18 points and seven rebounds. He hit seven of 13 shots, including two of seven from long range.

Duke hit 59 percent from the field, and six players scored in double figures. Chris Duhon had 18 points, including four 3-pointers, and Mike Dunleavy added 16.

Krzyzewski became the fifth-fastest coach to reach 500 wins with one team, doing it in 660 games. Only Kentucky's Adolph Rupp (583), UNLV's Jerry Tarkanian (614), North Carolina's Dean Smith (653) and Henry Iba of Oklahoma State (654) did it quicker.

Boozer hit nine of 15 shots. His alley-oop dunk from Jason Williams gave Duke a 67-53 lead with 12:25 left.

Williams finished with 13 points and 10 assists.

Villanova used a 9-0 run to pull within 89-80 with just over two minutes left, but got no closer.

Villanova broke down Duke's full-court pressure for three easy baskets and a 17-16 lead with 13 minutes left in the first half, but Duke wore the Wildcats down from there.

The Blue Devils had eight steals in the first half, including one that led to a thunderous dunk by Boozer that gave Duke a 31-23 lead with 8:55 left.

Duke had 12 turnovers in the first half, but hit 20 of 31 shots.

Duke's Reggie Bryant banked in a 25-footer at the halftime buzzer to give the Blue Devils a 51-40 halftime lead. The play came after Villanova's Jermaine Medley was called for traveling 80 feet from the basket with 1.9 seconds left.