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No. 6 West Virginia Routs Duquesne, 68-39
Morgantown, WV (Sports Network) - Kevin Jones poured in 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds, as sixth-ranked West Virginia destroyed Duquesne, 68-39, in a non-conference clash at WVU Coliseum.
Wellington Smith added 11 points for the Mountaineers (6-0), who have won seven straight games versus Duquesne. Da'Sean Butler chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds while Darryl Bryant ended with eight points and seven assists for West Virginia, which has won 28 games in a row at home in the month of December.
Damian Saunders had 12 points, six rebounds and three steals for the Dukes (6-3), who was coming off a 58-44 win over Savannah State on Saturday. Sean Johnson tallied eight points for Duquesne, which shot just 31.8 percent from the field.
The Mountaineers took control of the game from the opening tip, beginning the tilt with a 14-2 run. Jones tallied seven points during the flurry, which Devin Ebanks capped off with a slam just 4 1/2 minutes in.
WVU used a 7-0 spurt midway through the first half to build a 17-point margin. Smith’s free throw made it 27-10 with nine minutes remaining.
West Virginia's lead grew late in the half, thanks to a 13-1 burst. The Mountaineers made a trio of three-pointers during the stretch, including Jonnie West's trey to make it a 42-19 game with under two minutes left. The score was 42-20 at the break.
Ahead 49-27 with over 14 minutes remaining in the second half, WVU ripped off 12 consecutive points to turn the contest into a full-on rout. Casey Mitchell capped the run with a jumper, making it a 61-27 game with 10:43 to play.
The Dukes never threatened the rest of the way.
West Virginia is enjoying its highest AP ranking since being ranked No. 6 on February 23, 1982...WVU shot 36.4 percent from the field, including a 10- for-27 performance from beyond the arc. The Dukes made just 2-of-13 three- pointers...The Mountaineers have won 32 of their last 34 games in the month of December...West Virginia owns a 49-36 series lead over Duquesne...The Dukes head back home to take on Robert Morris on Saturday, while the Mountaineers welcome Coppin State to town on Saturday.
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