Blue Devils

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Duke's strategy for handling Iowa's pressure defense was simple -- let 6-foot-11 Christian Laettner throw the ball over the top and attack.The Blue Devils made it work, closing the first half with a 13-1 surge and beating the Hawkeyes, 85-70, yesterday in the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament to earn its sixth straight trip to a regional semifinal."Our goal was to break the press. Most teams see [Iowa center] Acie Earl back there and they don't want to attack because he's such a great shot blocker," said Duke's Thomas Hill, who sparked the decisive run with a dunk and three-point play.

DURHAM, N.C. -- Matt Hahn scored three goals to help Maryland to a 12-6 victory over Duke in an Atlantic Coast Conference game yesterday at Duke Lacrosse Stadium. It was the Terps' second straight win over Duke and their eighth in the past 10 meetings.The Blue Devils (0-1) jumped to a 3-0 lead on goals from Tyler Hardy, Alex Whitten and Scott Diggs. The Terps responded with nine unanswered goals over a span of four quarters, and never looked back.The Terps (2-0) were outshot 39-30, lost the groundball battle 33-28 and won only six of 22 faceoffs.

Brown attackman Alex Goodman has heard all about the brutal reputation of Duke's defense. He has watched the films of the Blue Devils pummeling opponents with hard checks.And he wanted nothing of it. Goodman, who usually powers past defenders one-on-one for unassisted goals, opted to cut to the goal without the ball as a passing target.The change in style worked perfectly as Goodman found open seams to score four goals and pace co-No. 7 Brown past No. 9 Duke, 11-9, at Loyola College's Curley Field.

Last season, the Maryland game was a cakewalk for a surprising Duke team that launched its drive toward the Hall of Fame Bowl.The Blue Devils dominated the 1994 opener in Durham, N.C., handing Maryland a 49-16 whipping and scoring their highest point total in four years.Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year Robert Baldwin rushed for a school-record 238 yards and equaled the school record with four touchdowns on the ground.It doesn't figure to be that easy tomorrow night at Byrd Stadium, and Duke knows it."

COLLEGE PARK - One week after Maryland lacrosse coach Dave Cottle praised his team for taking advantage of a high percentage of opportunities, Duke supported his theory that shooting percentage is the most important statistic in lacrosse. The No. 12 Blue Devils (4-0) controlled the ball, clock and scoreboard throughout the second half yesterday at the Maryland Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex, and upset the Terps, 10-8, in the teams' first Atlantic Coast Conference contest. Duke converted 10 of 26 shots, while the No. 3 Terps (1-1)

A Duke lacrosse team that had been scaring highly rate opponents all season finally claimed a big one as a victim.The Blue Devils (5-4) rallied from an 8-4 second-quarter deficit to topple No. 6 Loyola College, 11-10, on two fourth-quarter goals from Greg Schmalz at rainy Curley Field. The loss for the Greyhounds (5-3) was the second in the past three weeks on their home field and puts Loyola deeply in trouble in its hopes for a NCAA tournament spot. Only a miraculous comeback against Towson State last Saturday prevented Loyola from losing all three home games.

COLLEGE PARK - No. 13 Duke scored a pair of goals just seven minutes apart in the second half and held off a furious offensive rally by No. 1 Maryland for a 2-1 win last night before 4,165 at Ludwig Field. It was the second loss for the Terps since taking over the top spot in the National Soccer Coaches Association poll last week. They lost in double overtime to William and Mary on Wednesday, 1-0. The Terps (5-2-1, 0-1-1 ACC) held a commanding 24-8 lead in shots, but were unable to convert several scoring chances.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Defense returned to Duke last night at the Metrodome. So did Bobby Hurley, at least the Hurley who helped lead the Blue Devils to a national championship last season. As a result, the nation's top-ranked team will return to championship game of the NCAA tournament for the third straight year.But it didn't come easily for Duke.After trailing Indiana by 12 points midway through in the first half, and leading by 13 midway though the second half, Duke survived a last-minute three-point blitz by a heretofore unknown Hoosiers guard and made enough free throws to escape with a shaky 81-78 victory before 50,379.

Duke brought its old-school, in-your-face brand of defense yesterday and drilled UMBC on the consequences of playing meekly.Shutting out the Retrievers for the opening 36: 42 of the game, the No. 2 Blue Devils rattled No. 9 UMBC, 12-7, before 1,344 at UMBC Stadium.It wasn't even that close, as UMBC (3-1) scored three times in the last 2 1/2 minutes, including twice against the Blue Devils' reserve defensemen. Duke (5-0) is off to its best start in 48 years."We really like to go out and pressure the ball," Duke defensive midfielder Tim Knowles said.

Second-ranked Duke scored five third-quarter goals and held No. 11 Navy scoreless in the second half on the way to a 9-4 win yesterday in men's lacrosse in Durham, N.C. The Blue Devils are 6-0 for the first time since 1951. The Mids (3-2) led 4-2 at halftime before Duke used five goals from as many players to go ahead to stay, 7-4. Jared Frood had a goal and three assists for Duke. Navy was led by Adam Borcz's two goals. No. 14 Penn State 16, Lehigh 10: Ted Holmes' goal late in the third quarter broke an 8-8 tie and ignited a six-goal run as the Nittany Lions (2-2)