This isn’t the way Duke wanted to go into March.
Virginia’s 52-50 win over the Blue Devils Saturday night was Duke’s third loss in its last four games. All of the losses were on the road.
Virginia doesn’t mind dragging you into the muck and mire and winning ugly. In fact, I think they prefer it that way.
And it sure was ugly. But that pack-line defense isn’t designed to look pretty, it’s designed to win games. Duke shot 30 percent from the field, 23.5 on 3s (4-17) and 10-15 from the line. Tre Jones and Vernon Carey each scored 17 points but no one else wearing Duke blue scored more than six points. The three freshmen other than Carey combined for 6 points on 2-for-16 shooting.
“They can control tempo,” Mike Krzyzewski said. “You’re not going to have a high-scoring game against them. They didn’t have a high scoring game against us either. Both teams played outstanding defense. This wasn’t one team played better defense than the other. That’s the hard-fought type of game that they play all the time. That experience of playing in that level of game helps them. I think that is why they have won so many of these games recently, one possession games because they are accustomed to how important every possession is.”
Still, for much of the second half it looked like Duke was going to eke out a victory. After going into the locker room deadlocked at 25, Duke led virtually the entire second half, 35-28 with 15 minutes left, 39-34 with 11 left, 45-43 with 4:52 left.
But Duke could never get the separation it ended to beat a good team on the road.
There were 14 lead changes, the most of any Duke game this season.
Virginia caught up at 45 and the two teams exchanged turnovers, missed shots and the occasional basket down the stretch.
Mamadi Diakite put the Cavaliers up 51-50 with a short jumper, with 40 seconds left. Duke had three possessions after that and came up empty on all three. Jay Huff stuffed a Carey lay-up with a few seconds left and after a missed foul shot Jones’ potential game-winning 3-pointer from about 30 feet out was off by a silly centimeter at the buzzer.
Carey missed his last four shots from the field. In fact, Jones was the only Duke player to score over the final 4:52, the only one to make a field goal over the final 11:22.
Huff had something to do with that. He ended the game with 15 points, 9 rebounds and 10 blocks. Adding insult to injury Huff is a Durham native, one that Duke never really prioritized as a recruit.
Four years and 40 pounds of muscle later, this might be a decision Duke regrets.
“Both teams played outstanding defense,” Krzyzewski said “and the difference maker for them was Huff. Huff had his best game today and don’t get me wrong he has had a lot of great games. Today he had his best game, especially in rim protection.”
Diakite and Brandon Key added 14 points each for the “Hoos. Virginia didn’t shoot much better than Duke, 42 percent from the field, 30 percent on 3s. Virginia outrebounded Duke 38-33 but had 15 turnovers to Duke’s 10.
Duke doesn’t have much time to nurse its wounds. NC State shows up in Cameron Monday night, then the suddenly hot Tar Heels on Saturday to finish the regular season. With Florida State’s loss to Clemson Duke still has an outside chance at a share of the ACC regular-season title.
They also have a chance at the fourth seed.
But even more importantly, Duke needs to regain its mojo and go to Greensboro on a roll not a slump.
NOTES
Carey added 10 rebounds to his 17 points, his 14th double-double of the season.
Javin DeLaurier’s six points gives Duke nine players with at least 100 points this season, a school record.
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Poll
Player Of The Game vs. Virginia
This poll is closed
-
4%
Matthew Hurt
-
0%
Wendell Moore
-
19%
Vernon Carey
-
0%
Cassius Stanley
-
60%
Tre Jones
-
1%
Joey Baker
-
3%
Javin DeLaurier
-
3%
Jack White
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1%
Jordan Goldwire
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5%
Alex O’ Connell