Duke Blows Away Miami By 30

I suppose I could say that Duke buried Miami under a hurricane of 3-pointers.

But we’re too good for cheap word play.

So, let’s just say that Duke used a combination of long-range shooting and suffocating defense to handle Miami 89-59 Tuesday night, ending their losing streak at two. The win moves Duke to 16-3, 6-2 in the ACC with a week off looming.

Miami drops to 10-8, 2-6 in the ACC.

Miami coach Jim Larranaga sardonically summed up Miami’s strategy.

“Our game plan was to pack in the paint and give them threes. I guess we did a good job.”

The visitors smothered Vernon Carey inside, daring Duke to beat them from long range.

Duke accepted the dare.

It took Matthew Hurt 34 seconds to hit a 3, then 47 seconds to hit another. Then Tre Jones, then Cassius Stanley, four 3-pointers before the first media timeout, at which point it was 14-6.

A fast start was just what the doctor ordered after last week’s pair of losses.

“We knew this was going to be a big game tonight,” Jack White said, “to see how we responded to the two losses. As a group, collectively, we’re ready to move past last week. . . . It’s something we’ve stressed in our preparation for this one, to get out going early and make sure we’re all on the same page defensively, which gets our offense going.”

Duke hit 9-of-17 from beyond the arc in the first half, taking a 48-24 lead into intermission.

Hurt was a big part of that. The stretch-four from Minnesota has had the kind of up-and-down season typical of freshmen but it’s hard to argue with his positive response to hard times.

“We know coming in most games that with a beast like Vernon down low they’re going to pack it in and try to make it difficult for him because he’s been really good for us. Shooters are best with wide-open shots and once you make your first one, you think you’re going to make them all.”

Hurt had 15 points and 5 rebounds at the half.

Mike Krzyzewski was pleased with the 3-pointers but even more with a defense that held Miami to 30 percent shooting, 22 percent from beyond the arc.

“For us to win, we have to play good D. If we’re playing that hard on defense it translates to good offense because we’re pushing the ball. At the start of the game we had a lot of energy. In the second half, you’re playing at 10:30 at night, with a big lead and it’s tough for both teams.”

Duke held Miami’s star guard Chris Lykes to no points and no assists at halftime.

“I don’t think his full presence was felt on the court for them,” White noted. “With Tre and JGold [Goldwire] you know they’re going to be able to go with him wherever he goes and pester him. It’s a credit to them and their defense for taking him out.”

Lykes showed his explosiveness in a three-minute span early in the second half, when he scored six points.

“We just played really good defense,” Krzyzewski added. “Lykes is a heckuva player. In the second half he showed more. We’ve had a couple of good games against him. I’m glad we don’t play them again. When he got that little spurt going, he can go 15 quick. He’s one of the quickest scorers in the league.”

Lykes got nine points in the second half but it was too little, too late. The closest Miami got in the second half was 22. The outcome was never in doubt.

“They really responded to the two losses in a very positive way,” Krzyzewski summed up. “Our practices were excellent and our team meetings and I think we grew a lot as a team.”

NOTES

Wendell Moore will not be back next week.

But the week off should help Joey Baker’s ankle.

Hurt ended with 22 points and six rebounds, his third 20-point game of the season.

And Tre Jones did more than just pester Lykes. He stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and a steal, while turning it over just once.

Carey joined them in double figures with 11 points while the attention paid to him by Miami opened the floor for his teammates.

Stanley had nine points, including another one of those highlight-reel dunks off an inbounds pass from Jones. Baker hit three 3-pointers for his 9 points, while Alex O’Connell had eight late points. And the seniors again provided leadership and toughness, White with 5 points and 2 blocks, Javin DeLaurier with 5 points and a team-high 9 rebounds.

Duke outrebounded Miami 39-35, while forcing 13 turnovers. Duke had 18 assists, against 10 turnovers, with 7 blocks, while shooting 53.5 percent from the field, 11-25 from 3 and 10-13 from the line, dominating in almost every aspect of the game.

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• BOX SCORE (PDF)
• Postgame Notes (PDF)
• Coach K Quotes (PDF)
• Duke Player Quotes (PDF)
• Opponent Quotes (PDF)