Dockery Helps Duke Stay Perfect

Playing third-fiddle to fellow Duke seniors J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams doesn’t bother Sean Dockery at all. He gets plenty of attention and respect where it matters most -- in the Blue Devil locker room.

“If people overlook me, oh, well,” Dockery said. “My team and my coach, that’s my family, and they know what I’m doing. That’s a great feeling.”

Dockery made a go-ahead three-pointer and set up another an instant later by Lee Melchionni to help the No. 1 Blue Devils beat No. 14 North Carolina State, 81-68, Wednesday night at Durham, N.C.

Redick had 28 points and Williams added 21 for Duke, 17-0 overall and 5-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Blue Devils are 17-0 for only the second time. The other was during a run to the NCAA title in 1992.

The Wolfpack (14-3, 3-2) was never too far away in a game that featured 16 lead changes and nine ties, the last at 65-65. Duke closed the game with a 16-3 run.

No. 2 Florida 113, Savannah State 62 -- Joakim Noah had 21 points on 10-for-10 shooting and reserve Walter Hodge added 18 points at Gainesville, Fla., as the Gators remained unbeaten.

Florida (17-0) extended the best start and longest winning streak in school history, and finished undefeated in nonconference play for the first time in Coach Billy Donovan’s 10 seasons.

Javon Randolph had 22 points and eight rebounds for the Tigers (1-18), who last season became the second winless NCAA Division I team in the last 50 years.

They have lost 18 straight since a season-opening victory over Wilberforce University.

No. 4 Memphis 88, Tennessee 79 -- Shawne Williams had 21 points and 14 rebounds, and Rodney Carney added 22 points for the Tigers (16-2) at Memphis, Tenn.

Dane Bradshaw led the Volunteers (11-3) with 21 points, 10 rebounds and five steals.

No. 9 Pittsburgh 76, Rutgers 68 -- Aaron Gray scored nine of his 20 points in the final three minutes at Piscataway, N.J., to help Pittsburgh remain undefeated.

Levon Kendall had 14 points for the Panthers (15-0, 4-0 Big East).

Quincy Douby, the Big East’s leading scorer at 23.3 points per game, had 27 for Rutgers (12-5, 2-2).

No. 19 Ohio State 77, No. 15 Wisconsin 67 -- Terence Dials scored 15 points and Ron Lewis, Jamar Butler and Matt Sylvester each added 14 for Ohio State at Columbus, Ohio, as the Buckeyes ended Wisconsin’s seven-game winning streak and handed the Badgers their first Big Ten loss.

Kammron Taylor and Alando Tucker each scored 21 points for the Badgers (14-3, 4-1).

Wisconsin had its worst shooting game of the season, making 38%. The Buckeyes (13-2, 3-2) came out of a shooting slump by making 54%.

No. 23 Iowa 76, Minnesota 72 -- Erek Hansen scored a career-high 20 points, and Iowa relied on clutch free-throw shooting to win the first triple-overtime game played in Carver Hawkeye Arena at Iowa City.

Iowa (14-4, 3-1 Big Ten) made nine straight free throws during a stretch of the second and third overtimes, and the Gophers (9-6, 0-4) went five for 12 from the line in the extra periods, including missing four straight when they had a chance to secure the victory in the final minute of the second overtime.

Greg Brunner had 17 points and a career-high 23 rebounds for Iowa.

Maurice Hargrow led the Gophers with 16 points.

*

Arizona senior shooting guard Chris Rodgers was dismissed from the team by Coach Lute Olson.

Rodgers, a starter in 13 games, averaged 10.8 points and 2.3 rebounds.