No. 3 Duke 71, Boston U. 43

12/30/2006 10:24 PM

HANOVER, N.H. (AP) -No. 3 Duke gave Boston University a big dose of the best defense in the country.

The Blue Devils limited BU to two first-half field goals and went on to a 71-43 victory in the championship game of the Blue Sky Restaurant Group Classic at Dartmouth on Saturday night.

Duke (14-0) got a career-high 22 points and 10 rebounds from Carrem Gay, who made 9-of-12 shots from the field and had seven offensive rebounds.

Tournament MVP Lindsey Harding scored 17 points for Duke on 7-for-12 shooting while center Alison Bales added 12 points and six rebounds.

Katie Meinhardt scored 12 points to lead Boston University (8-5).

Duke held BU to 2-for-19 shooting in the first half and turned the Terriers over 12 times before they could get off a shot while taking a 30-8 lead at the break. The Terriers had just one field goal and five points until the final two minutes of the half against the Blue Devils, whose 29-percent field goal defense is tops in the nation.

``I was very pleased with our effort in the first half on the defensive end, but then the second half I give Boston credit,'' Duke coach Gail Goestenkors said. ``They came out and they really attacked us. We went to a zone a little bit and they got some good looks and made the most of their opportunities.''

Boston University regrouped and scored on seven of its first eight possessions of the second half to slice the Duke lead to 38-25. The Terriers made 41 percent in the second half (12-for-29), the season high for a half against Duke.

With the lead whittled to 43-28, the Blue Devils went on a 16-4 run behind eight points from Bales to take their biggest lead of the game.

Duke, which struggled with 37.5 percent shooting in the first half, shot 61.5 percent from the field in the second.

``It was the tale of two halves offensively and defensively for us,'' Goestenkors said.

Even with the Terriers' improved shooting in the second half, the Blue Devils limited Boston University to 29.2 percent on the game, the 10th time in 14 games they have held an opponent under 30 percent.

Duke went 13-for-16 from the foul line and finished the tournament 28-for-31 from the stripe.

The Blue Devils now have won 61 consecutive games against unranked opponents and 32 games in a row against nonconference teams. They begin Atlantic Coast Conference play Wednesday with a home game against Miami.

``Now it's time to really get down to business with our conference play,'' Goestenkors said. ``We'll get home, break down the tapes from the game tonight and learn from our mistakes and get better.''

Boston University coach Kelly Greenberg thinks they are pretty good already.

``They really are,'' she said. ``And it all starts with Harding. She's just tremendous. She shoots the 3, pulls up, she's very unselfish and has the entire package. I really think she is one of the best players in the country and they are one of the best teams.''