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Penn-Duke Preview

Dec 30, 2009 - 6:09 PM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Pennsylvania (0-8) at Duke (10-1), 6:00 p.m. EDT

Duke hasn't had too much difficulty handling its past three opponents. Its next one probably won't give much resistance either.

Before opening ACC play, the seventh-ranked Blue Devils host winless Penn on Thursday night as they try for a fifth straight victory.

With plenty of chances to rest this month, Duke (10-1) has thrived since losing 73-69 at Wisconsin on Dec. 2. The Blue Devils bounced back Dec. 5 with a nine-point home win over St. John's and seemed to benefit from a nine-day break before a 113-68 rout of visiting Gardner-Webb.

They followed that easy win with a 35-point victory over then-No. 15 Gonzaga on Dec. 19 in New York, and they got another nine-day break before Tuesday night's 84-63 home win over Long Beach State.

Duke's backcourt of Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith again led the way in that victory.

Scheyer had a team-high 22 points and six 3-pointers, and he's averaged 26.0 points over the past three games while making 15 of 25 attempts from beyond the arc.

Smith, who had 19 points and matched a career high with four 3-pointers, has knocked down seven of 10 shots from long range while averaging 18.0 points in those blowout victories.

The guards also combined for 14 assists and no turnovers in the latest win.

"We are just playing together and not trying to force anything," Smith told the school's Web site. "We are just letting it come to us. The passes that we are making are very easy passes. It is just happening."

The duo will try to help Duke extend a few home win streaks Thursday. The Blue Devils will attempt to earn their 76th straight non-conference victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium, their 49th in a row in December and 36th consecutive win against an unranked team.

While it might get a challenge when No. 21 Clemson visits Sunday to open conference play, Duke shouldn't have a problem against the Quakers (0-8), who will play their second game under interim coach Jerome Allen.

Allen, who took over for the fired Glen Miller on Dec. 14, didn't have much luck turning around the team's shooting woes in his debut Monday night at Davidson.

Penn, among the nation's worst teams with a 39.2 shooting percentage, made a season-worst 33.9 percent of its shots in a 79-50 loss. Sophomore guard Zack Rosen was the only player in double figures with 14 points, extending his streak of scoring 10 or more to six straight.

Rosen is averaging a team-best 14.8 points, and the only other Quakers player scoring more than 10 per game is junior forward Jack Eggleston (13.0).

Duke holds an 8-6 lead in the series and has won five straight, including 72-59 at home Dec. 7, 2005.

Penn's previous win over the Blue Devils was 50-49 in overtime at Cameron Indoor on Dec. 7, 1971, and the Quakers have lost 25 straight to Top 25 teams since beating Temple on Nov. 23, 1998.