By Bret Strelow
bstrelow@salisburypost.com
DURHAM ó Injured sophomore Nolan Smith held a box of tissues as three seniors delivered speeches following Duke’s home finale.
Gerald Henderson smiled throughout the ceremony. A junior with NBA talent, he said he had not really considered the possibility that Tuesday’s game was his last at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Henderson scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the seventh-ranked Blue Devils to an 84-81 victory against 24th-ranked Florida State. He posted nine of Duke’s last 10 points while helping Greg Paulus, David McClure and Martynas Pocius exit as winners.
“I got one more year here, and I’m looking forward to that,” Henderson said. “Cameron is a great place, and I don’t know why anyone would want to cut their time short.”
Henderson shot only 6-for-17, but he recorded the first double-double of his career and dished out five assists. Kyle Singler finished with 20 points, Jon Scheyer had 17 and Elliot Williams added 14.
Duke (25-5, 11-4 ACC) had dropped its last three senior night games, and the Seminoles (22-8, 9-6) inched ahead 76-74 when Toney Douglas drilled a 3-pointer a few steps from FSU’s bench with 2:27 remaining.
The Blue Devils secured two offensive rebounds on their next possession, and Henderson found himself open in the right corner. Surprised that FSU defender Chris Singleton didn’t make more of an effort to leave the paint, Henderson hesitated before taking a 3-pointer that gave Duke the lead for good.
“I hadn’t been really hitting, but I was going to shoot it,” Henderson said. “It was a good shot for us. You don’t want to look back and say you didn’t take the shot that was open.”
Douglas, who scored a game-high 27 points, missed a baseline floater on Florida State’s next trip. Henderson hit two free throws for a 79-76 lead, and Douglas failed to connect on a 3-point attempt with 42 seconds left.
Henderson chased down the long rebound near midcourt, continued toward the other end and converted an acrobatic layup while drawing a foul. He celebrated wildly, then stepped forward and made the free throw.
“We do a lot with matchups and go to that guy,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said, “although with G it seems like we go to him no matter what the matchup is.”
Duke hadn’t won its Cameron finale since 2005, when McClure was in his first of five seasons at the school.
North Carolina has beaten the Blue Devils in each of its last two March trips to Durham, and McClure joked about the presence of a senior night curse. Paulus shared a lengthy hug with Krzyzewski during the pregame ceremony Tuesday and fought back tears as he waved to the crowd.
“I wish I could have got a couple of those other guys some wins, but for it to be my last game and to pull through in the second half, it was a great win,” Paulus said. “I’m glad we could leave this place and treat the fans to another win.”
Smith, who sat out his second straight game, brushed tears away from his eyes as he left the floor following the pregame recognition of seniors.
Smith jokingly tried to hand Paulus a tissue once the postgame speeches ended.
“I knew Greg was a very emotional person, so I was just ready for my teammate,” Smith said with a laugh. “If he needed a dab, I was going to give it to him.
“He held his composure very well, and I was proud of him. I know he’ll be crying when he gets home.”
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NOTE: Duke forward Lance Thomas injured his left ankle in the first four minutes and walked with the help of crutches after the game. The ankle was X-rayed, and Krzyzewski said team representatives doesn’t think it’s broken.