DUKE DROPPING ALL BUT ACC PLAY
Duke won’t play any more nonconference men’s basketball games in the regular season.
The school announced the move Thursday. That followed coronavirus-related postponements of three nonconference games this year, though only one had been rescheduled.
In a release, the school said it was a cautionary step due to the pandemic as well as allowing players to spend time with families over the Christmas holidays.
“This is the best decision we could make as a program, in making sure that we are doing the right thing for our players,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a statement.
Duke was originally scheduled to open Nov. 25 against Gardner-Webb, though that game was postponed due to a positive COVID-19 test and contact tracing within the Runnin’ Bulldogs program. That game was eventually rescheduled for Dec. 19.
Games against Elon for Dec. 6 and Charleston Southern on Saturday already had been postponed.
Duke (2-2) has lost home games to No. 4 Michigan State and No. 6 Illinois. The Blue Devils open Atlantic Coast Conference play at Notre Dame next Wednesday, followed by a Dec. 29 visit from Pittsburgh.
Thursday’s results
Portland 87, Oregon State 86 (OT): Ahmed Ali scored 26 points, Eddie Davis added 22 and Portland stunned the Beavers (2-3) with a win in overtime. Ali’s contested 3-pointer with 14 seconds left and the shot clocking winding down gave Portland an 86-82 lead to seal it.
Ali finished two points short of his career high set in an 86-73 win against Portland State on Saturday. Portland (4-1) has won four straight.
It was the first game in four years between the two schools. The Pilots beat Oregon State 53-45 on Dec. 18, 2016 at the Moda Center in Portland. The win was just the fifth ever for Portland in Corvallis, Ore.
San Francisco 107, Long Beach State 62: Damari Milstead scored 24 points to lead the Dons (5-2) to an easy win over visiting Long Beach State.
Notable
No. 18 Virginia (3-1) made it through only four games this season before virus-related complications led to its first postponement, scrapping the highly anticipated matchup against fourth-ranked Michigan State on Wednesday in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge at John Paul Jones Arena.
At least one positive test within the Cavaliers locker room, according to the athletic department, also has put on hold games against visiting William & Mary on Sunday night and the ACC opener against Wake Forest next Wednesday night in Winston-Salem, N.C.
• Utah State’s men’s team is pausing full team activities and has canceled its game against Weber State on Saturday due to positive COVID-19 tests within the program.