#
Game commentary
#
Defense creates offense for Duke in FSU destruction**
Is Duke back?
Heading into Saturday night's game against Florida State, the Blue Devils were once again amidst skepticism. Anyone with a clue had to wonder if Chris Collins' victory lap three-pointer was going to be the spark of Duke's fire. Would the team be able to elevate itself to another notch and build off its heroic win in Raleigh, or would it crumble to yet another Atlantic Coast Conference foe and rehash the nightmares of last year?
Midway through the first half, it appeared that Duke might just be on its way to another scalping. After foward Corey Louis connected on both ends of a one-and-one with 9:50 remaining, the Seminoles had taken an eight-point lead and seemed to be in control of the up-and-down, hectic game. Visions of a one-and-five conference record began to surface once again.
But these visions were meant to be altered. Keyed by a late three point barage and timely defensive stands, the Blue Devils went on a 21-10 run to close the half and take a 39-36 lead. The momentum and onslaught continued, as Duke opened up a 26-point lead, its biggest of the game, on a slashing drive by foward Ricky Price with just over six minutes left. The only question that remained was on which side of the Seminole skull the tomahawk was going to enter. It was the epitome of Duke dominance.
"We played a heck of a ballgame tonight," head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "I'm very proud of them. These last 48 hours have been big ones for our team. We played the way we've practiced this week. We really practiced hard and played hard. Guys are diving for loose balls and taking charges. That's what we need."
More important than its second conference win of the year, a mark which equals the total of last season, was that this Duke victory was done in typical Blue Devil fashion. A somewhat close first half succumbed to Duke's pressure defense in the second, which created fast break opportunities and highlight dunks.
The crowd went nuts, Duke went on another run, and before FSU head coach Pat Kennedy could call another timeout, the lead was up to 18.
"It's hard sometimes to convince kids that they're doing a pretty good job, and they were when we lost those four games," Krzyzewski said. "This team can play real well and lose. . . We tried to stay confident with the kids, but there's nothing like actually looking at the scoreboard at the end of the game and seeing that you have more points than the other team. That gives you a hell of a lot more confidence."
Like the Duke teams of old, this game symbolized a defensive juggernaut. All five of Florida State's starters were held below their season averages. The Blue Devils forced 20 Seminole turnovers, with several transfixed into highlight jams by Jeff Capel, Carmen Wallace and Ricky Price.
Confidence was also a huge factor, both defensively and offensively. It appeared that as the game progressed and the lead widened, the Blue Devils became more intense and played with a certain attitude that has been absent.
"This is the first time that everybody has been clicking on all cylinders, " junior guard Jeff Capel said. "Everything was working tonight. It was just a great win. It was a chance for us to build on a victory. We wanted to come out and build on that and dominate. Our fans have been great. They've stayed by us and supported us through the rough times. Hopefully we gave them something to cheer about tonight."
Capel did his part, as he had one of his best overall games of the season. In addition to his six rebounds and five assists, he extended his double figure scoring streak to 13 games with 20 points. Hisand Collins' outside presence combined with the strong play of Greg Newton and Taymon Domzalski inside gave Duke a potent all around attack that exploited the ineffective Seminole zone defense from all aspects.
"Both Taymon and [Newton] were great down low," Collins said. "If we can put a full effort like that together we showed that we can be a team that can beat anybody on any given night. We have to maintain the intensity and keep playing hard. We're trying to get rid of all the negative baggage from last year."
Whetherl Duke will continue its winning ways back to glory and erase the ghosts of last year remains to be seen. If Saturday night was any indication, the Duke of old is back. The players and crazies seemed to act as one. The defense was active and intense. The up-tempo, dunking style returned. The highlight film got some footage. Duke was dominant. Duke was Duke.
An actual ACC win streak has become a reality.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.