CLEMSON, S.C. - All season long No. 2 Duke has owned the second half. Last night at Littlejohn Coliseum against Clemson (12-7, 1-5 in the ACC) was no different, as the Blue Devils (18-1, 7-0) used runs of 9-0 and 18-3 in the second stanza to turn a 32-29 game at the half into an 82-60 final.
Shane Battier found his touch early in the second half, nailing back-to-back threes to give Duke a 38-29 advantage only 1:11 into the half.
"Battier hitting those two threes to begin the second half was key," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "It boosted his and the team's confidence and got us rolling."
After Chris Carrawell blocked a runner by Terrell McIntyre in the lane, Trajan Langdon hit another from behind the arc minutes later to extend the Blue Devil lead to 12, and the rout was on.
"It was a good win tonight for our squad," Krzyzewski said. "We played a terrific game in the second half. I commend our squad and the Tigers for their efforts tonight."
Clemson traded baskets with Duke after the initial Blue Devil run and appeared to have settled into a rhythm, but Duke increased its defensive intensity to end any hopes of a Tiger comeback.
Elton Brand and Carrawell took control in an 18-3 spurt over an 8:19 span that turned an 11-point lead into a 28-point cushion with only 2:36 to play. Carrawell started the run with a pass through the lane to Chris Burgess for a dunk.
"Carrawell...he was so good tonight," Krzyzewski said. "Some of his passes were just terrific. And I thought we never lost sight of Elton. He showed a lot of maturity in the post."
Brand made his presence felt during this stretch, scoring eight points and fueling a fast break with a swat of a Dustin Braddick jumper. In one sequence, Brand finished two baskets in the lane on passes from Carrawell and then rejected a Harold Jamison shot at the other end.
The Tigers opened the game by taking a 6-2 lead. With the crowd behind them, they held the advantage for the majority of the tightly contested opening frame. Tom Wideman was a large part of the Clemson effort, recording seven points and seven rebounds while holding Brand to just five points.
Will Solomon, a freshman getting his first start in place of the suspended Johnny Miller, was not intimidated by the Blue Devils, as he broke down the Duke defense for nine first-half points.
The momentum of the game seemed to shift late in the opening half with Clemson leading 29-27. Carrawell buried a three from the wing with 1:09 left to give the Blue Devils a one-point lead which they would never relinquish.
Will Avery closed the half with two free throws, giving Duke a three-point lead and paving the way for Battier's surge early in the next half.
"I thought we ended the first half really well," Krzyzewski said. "They put some pressure on us, and we needed to find a way to win. I told my team that we needed to learn to win in different ways at the half."
The Tigers controlled the tempo of the opening frame, rarely shooting until the shot clock was in single digits and holding Duke to its lowest first half output of the season.
Duke answered by posting 50 points in the second half on sizzling 70-percent shooting from the field, led by Brand's 7-of-7.
The Blue Devils, who have won five straight against the Tigers, knew heading into the contest that the key to victory was containing McIntyre, who entered the game averaging 16.4 points a game. The combination of Carrawell and Corey Maggette held the Tigers' sparkplug to just 5-of-18 shooting from the field and 0-of-6 from behind the arc.
So, in addition to an 11-0 run to start the second half against Kentucky, 13-0 spurt in the same stretch against Maryland and a 16-7 run to put away Virginia, the Blue Devils can now add Clemson to the list of those who wished the first five minutes of the second half had never happened.
Notes: Clemson coach Larry Shyatt suspended both Miller and Vincent Whitt prior to the game for breaking unspecified team rules. They missed last night's game and their status is uncertain heading into the weekend.... Krzyzewski missed practice Tuesday and did not travel with the team to Clemson that night after suffering pain in his shoulder. He remained in Durham to have his shoulder examined by doctors at Duke Hospital, was cleared to join the team last night and took a private plane into South Carolina yesterday afternoon. Doctors said the pain in his shoulder is related to an injury in his left hip, which is scheduled to be replaced April 5.
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