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Duke rebounds from first loss, crushes Colorado State

Dec 8, 2011 - 3:22 AM Durham, NC (Sports Network) - Austin Rivers scored 17 points, Andre Dawkins had 15 and No. 7 Duke bounced back from its only loss of the season with an 87-64 win over Colorado State on Wednesday.

Brothers Miles and Mason Plumlee added 14 points apiece for the Blue Devils (8-1), who extended their winning streak to 90 straight non-conference home games, which leads the country.

Dawkins didn't play in the second half because of back spasms. He scored all of his 15 points in just 12 minutes off the bench.

"He tweaked his back," said Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski. "We're hoping he'll be ready for Saturday (against Washington). It's too early to say right now."

Duke was playing for the first time since being blown out by No. 2 Ohio State, 85-63, in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge last Tuesday. The Blue Devils had played their first eight games in a 19-day stretch.

Greg Smith scored 18 points to lead Colorado State (5-4) and Dorian Green had 14. The Rams have lost two straight on the heels of a three-game winning streak.

Krzyzewski said the key to the game was guarding the three-point line to prevent the accurate Colorado State shooters from getting easy shot. Indeed, the Rams were just 4-of-11 from beyond the arc.

"We didn't think they would give us many good looks," said Colorado State head coach Tim Miles.

Still, Colorado State was within six with over eight minutes remaining in the first half before Duke scored five quick points, capped by a Dawkins three from the left side, to take a 33-22 lead.

The Blue Devils ended the first half on a 10-0 run to carry a 47-30 lead into the break and the outcome was never in doubt after that. They led by as many as 26 points with 3:24 remaining.

Duke, which shot 56.4 percent, has won 40 straight games at home, including 34 by 10 or more points. Colorado State shot just 40.7 percent.

The Blue Devils haven't lost back-to-back games since falling to North Carolina and Boston College on February 11-15, 2009.

"We're still very much a developing team," said Krzyzewski. "We've had a very difficult schedule and it will continue through Washington. We just have to keep adjusting."

Game Notes

Wednesday's game was the 327th straight sellout at Cameron Indoor Stadium...In its only other meeting with the Mountain West team, Duke beat Colorado State, 67-57, on March 20, 2003, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils are 8-3 all-time against the conference and 6-0 since falling to UNLV in the 1990 NCAA Championship Game.