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No. 5 Duke women rout No. 22 UNC, 96-56

Duke's Chelsea Gray (12) shoots over North Carolina's She'la White (1) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Monday, Feb. 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Duke's Elizabeth Williams, center, is pressured by North Carolina's Candace Wood (4) and Krista Gross during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Monday, Feb. 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Duke's Tricia Liston (32) drives to the basket against North Carolina's Candace Wood (4) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Monday, Feb. 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

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By JOEDY McCREARY, The Associated Press Updated 9:16 PM Monday, February 6, 2012

DURHAM, N.C. — Tricia Liston scored 16 of her 23 points during the decisive first-half run in No. 5 Duke's 96-56 rout of No. 22 North Carolina on Monday night.

Richa Jackson added 17 points for the Blue Devils (19-3, 10-0 Atlantic Coast Conference). They shot 54 percent and led by 41 in claiming their third straight win over their fiercest rivals — and their most lopsided since a 101-58 romp in 2000.

Chelsea Gray finished with 15 points and Elizabeth Williams had 13 points and 10 rebounds for Duke, which outscored North Carolina 39-12 during a 10½ minute stretch late in the first half. Liston hit three of the Blue Devils' seven 3-pointers during that run.

Chay Shegog had 19 points to lead the Tar Heels (17-6, 7-3). They managed just four field goals over the last 13 minutes of the half and had their five-game winning streak snapped.

Shay Selby finished with 10 points for Duke, which won its 28th straight ACC game at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

While powerhouse Connecticut has won at Cameron twice since 2009 — including a 61-45 victory last week that halted Duke's 34-game winning streak there — none of the Blue Devils' conference rivals have been able to do it just once during that span.

That includes top rival North Carolina, which hasn't won at Cameron since 2008.

And it became clear early on that the Tar Heels weren't going to do it this time, either.

The Blue Devils had 50 points at halftime — their highest-scoring first half against UNC since rolling up 52 on their way to that 43-point romp 12 years ago. They led this one by 30 before they were one minute into the second half.

Liston put the Blue Devils ahead to stay with 11½ minutes left in the half with a 3-pointer — one of seven hit by Duke during the dominating surge that put them in complete control by halftime. The Blue Devils made 15 of 21 shots to close the half.

Richa Jackson's 3 just inside the 6-minute mark made it 28-16 and pushed Duke's lead into double figures to stay, and Gray made it a 20-point game for good when her deep 3 from the key with just over 2 minutes left stretched it to 42-21.

Liston capped the burst with — what else? — a 3 in the final minute that put Duke up 48-22. Selby's runner just before the buzzer gave the Blue Devils a 50-24 halftime lead, and she made it a 30-point game with a jumper less than a minute after the break, stretching it to 54-24.

Meanwhile, seemingly nothing went right for the Tar Heels after Brittany Rountree's jumper put them up 10-9 with just over 13 minutes left in the half. They missed 15 of 18 shots after that and didn't come closer than 26 in the second half.

Laura Broomfield finished with 10 rebounds for North Carolina.

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February 07, 2012 02:13 AM EST

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