College Basketball Roundup : Visiting Duke Escapes With 81-78 Win Over Stetson

Three games on the road in five days can be hazardous. Fifth-ranked Duke nearly found out the hard way.

The Blue Devils, fresh off victories over Atlantic Coast Conference rivals North Carolina and Wake Forest, scrambled to hold off outmanned Stetson, 81-78, Monday night at Daytona Beach, Fla., in a game Coach Mike Krzyzewski said was “not an indication of how we will play, but a reaction to how we have played.�

“We have shown we can play two great games, then have an emotional letdown,� Krzyzewski added. “We kinda helped Stetson’s cause tonight. “They outplayed us, but we won because we have better talent.�

Kevin Strickland scored 22 points, including a pair of free throws with nine seconds remaining, to lead the Blue Devils.

Duke improved its record to 13-2 before an Ocean Center crowd of 6,517--largest ever to watch a Stetson home game. The Hatters are 8-7.

Pittsburgh 90, Providence 56--Jerome Lane had 17 points, 17 rebounds and shattered a backboard with a thunderous dunk as the 11th-ranked Panthers routed the Friars in a Big East game.

Early in the game, the 6-foot 6-inch Lane went in for a stuff and broke the plexiglass backboard. The crowd gave him a loud ovation, and his teammates congratulated him for the effort.

The game was delayed 32 points until a new backboard could be put in place.

Pitt is 14-2, 4-1. Providence is 8-7, 2-4.

Iowa 104, Wisconsin 89--B.J. Armstrong and Al Lorenzen keyed a 26-6 surge in the first half to lead the 16th-ranked Hawkeyes to a Big Ten victory at Madison, Wis.

The Hawkeyes are 14-5, 4-2 in Big Ten. Wisconsin is 8-8, 2-4.