CHICAGO -- Trajan Langdon liked the big arena and felt comfortable with the tight rims as Duke warmed up the morning before its game with Michigan State at the United Center.
"We played Illinois here four years ago. So I had a good feeling coming in," Langdon said."I said, 'The rims are tight.' He smiled and said, 'I like shooting here,' " Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said after Langdon's hot first-half shooting jump-started the Blue Devils, who held on for a 73-67 victory Wednesday night in the Great Eight.
The Blue Devils scored the first 13 points of the game and took a 24-7 lead behind Langdon's 12 points. He finished the half with 17 points on 6-of-6 shooting.
Langdon cooled off in the second half as good defense by Morris Peterson limited him to just six more points and 1-of-6 shooting. But the Blue Devils, bouncing back from a loss to Cincinnati in Alaska that knocked them from No. 1 to No. 4, didn't collapse against the physical play of the Spartans.
(17) NEW MEXICO 97, ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 72: At Albuquerque, N.M., freshman John Robinson III scored 25 points, and Damion Walker added 23 as New Mexico beat winless Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
(18) UCLA 109, DELAWARE STATE 67: UCLA guard Baron Davis, playing his first game in eight months after recovering from knee surgery, had nine points and four assists in 16 minutes at Los Angeles.
(23) XAVIER 64, (22) MIAMI, OHIO 56: At Cincinnati, Gary Lumpkin hit a clutch 3-pointer and James Posey clamped down on Wally Szczerbiak in the second half.
(25) ST. JOHN'S 70, HOFSTRA 49: Freshman Erick Barkley scored a season-high 25 points, including five 3-pointers, for St. John's.