No. 4 Duke drubs Virginia Tech 81-64

Kyle Singler scored 10 of his 16 points during an 18-9 run that gave No. 4 Duke some breathing room early in the second half and the Blue Devils beat Virginia Tech 81-64 on Thursday night.

The Blue Devils (16-1, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) won their sixth straight game and for the third time in the past five drama-filled meetings with the Hokies.

Virginia Tech (11-8, 2-3), which has beaten No. 7 Duke in Blacksburg and No. 5 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium since joining the ACC, also lost on the Blue Devils' famous court on a 40-foot heave by Sean Dockery to beat the buzzer in 2005.

This time, Singler and the Blue Devils didn't let it get that close, taking charge with an impressive burst to open the second half and keeping the raucous crowd at Cassell Coliseum waiting to see if the overmatched Hokies could get back in it.

Playing without second-leading scorer and leading rebounder Jeff Allen, who is serving a two-game suspension for making contact with a referee at Georgia Tech on Saturday, the Hokies couldn't, even after getting within 42-41 early in the second half.

Singler answered A.D. Vassallo's 3-pointer to begin the half with one of his own, then had three of the Blue Devils' next four baskets as they built a 53-45 lead.

When a dunk by J.T. Thompson pulled the Hokies to 53-47, the Blue Devils answered by scoring the next seven points, one on a free throw by Singler after Deron Washington was called for an intentional foul for pushing Singler after a defensive rebound by Duke.

The Hokies never challenged again.

Gerald Henderson added 12 points and DeMarcus Nelson and Greg Paulus both had 10 for Duke.

Vassallo led Virginia Tech with 16 points, while Thompson had 13 and Washington 12.

The game was rough throughout, and Nelson, Washington and Malcolm Delaney of the Hokies all fouled out.

The Blue Devils built a 27-16 lead by outscoring the Hokies 21-10 over a 9-minute stretch when the Hokies committed five turnovers. Virginia Tech closed within 39-38 with 55 seconds to go in the half. Duke's Taylor King made it 42-38 at the half with a 27-footer, his third 3-pointer to that point, with 37 seconds left.