By AARON BEARD
Associated Press Writer
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) - Dahntay Jones scored 22 points and J.J. Redick had 20 as No. 3 Duke used its defense to overcome poor shooting and beat Fairfield 86-58 Thursday.
Freshman Shelden Williams added 16 points and 10 rebounds for Duke, which improved to 8-0 for the 11th time in 23 seasons under coach Mike Krzyzewski. The Blue Devils also won their 17th straight at home and ran their nonconference record at Cameron Indoor Arena to 163-8.
The Blue Devils are poised to rise to the top of The Associated Press rankings on Monday after losses by No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Pittsburgh this week. Duke held a double-digit lead for most of the game but shot just 39 percent and was slow to put away the Stags (5-5).
Duke held the Stags to 37 percent shooting, though, while blocking 11 shots and forcing 23 turnovers.
Oscar Garcia scored 19 to lead Fairfield.
Redick closed the first half by hitting five straight shots - including three 3-pointers - and finished 7-for-13 from the floor. That followed Sunday's game over Dayton, when he scored a career-high 26 points and hit his last eight shots.
Duke led 43-31 at halftime and maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half. With the Blue Devils struggling with their shooting, Fairfield had several opportunities to cut into the lead, only to be turned away.
Leading 59-45 midway through the half, Duke pushed the lead to 20 with an 8-2 run, ending with a fastbreak dunk and two free throws by Jones for a 67-47 lead.
Both teams started poorly, with Duke missing its first five shots and Fairfield missing its first eight. Fairfield led 9-8 after a jumper from Terrence Todd with 13:51 left in the half before Duke's offense scored on seven straight possessions, beginning with a fastbreak layup by Chris Duhon. Fairfield committed four turnovers over its next five possessions.
That's when Redick got going, hitting a 3-pointer from the left wing for a 20-11 lead, followed by a jumper from the left wing on the next possession. His 3-pointer off a feed from Duhon with 4:30 left in the half increased the margin to 35-19.
The Stags rallied with six straight points, pulling to 40-31 on a jumper
from Nick Delfico with 34.4 seconds left. But Duhon and Redick hooked up again,
this time with Redick nailing a 3 from the right wing in front of the Fairfield
bench just before the half ended.
