Duke 77, Belmont 76

[recap] [box score]

Give a lot of credit to Belmont. There aren't many teams who go into Cameron Indoor stadium, get down 16, and then nearly come back and win.

Duke has now won 87 consecutive home games against non-conference opponents, their last loss in such a game coming eleven years ago. College basketball scheduling being what it is, a large number of those wins have come against mid-majors like Belmont; teams who don't have a lot of blue-chip recruits and All-America candidates. Often those less talented teams lose more or less before they take the court, having psyched themselves out.

Duke, of course, helps that progress along, playing pressure man-to-man defense, pushing the tempo, looking for the three-point dagger. With their crowd and their style, things can get out of control quickly.