There probably weren't a lot of smiles as the sixth-ranked men's basketball team (12-2, 3-0 in the ACC) walked into the Cameron Indoor Stadium lockerroom at halftime last night. Duke led underdog Georgia Tech (7-7, 0-2) by only five points, and Shane Battier had shot a dismal 1-for-7 from the field.
But Battier recovered and the Blue Devils went on to beat the Yellow Jackets by a comfortable 82-57 margin.
This game was two different stories, as both Battier and the rest of the Blue Devils made a complete turnaround on offense in the second half.
Battier knocked down a jumper only 11 seconds into the half and the Blue Devils began to expand their lead. With just over 15 minutes remaining, Mike Dunleavy nailed a driving layup for Duke's first double-digit lead, 50-39.
"Dunleavy's drive that put us up by 11, that was as big a play as there was in the game," coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "It showed that that's what we needed to do, drive to the basket a little more instead of shooting jumpers."
While Dunleavy might have helped set the tone, Battier's clutch shooting sealed the victory.
The junior went 6-for-9 in the second half to tally 19 points. But most importantly, he nailed two three-pointers to put the game out of reach. With 5:21 remaining
It was virtually the same scenario 44 seconds later, as Battier hit a second three to put the Blue Devils ahead 70-50 and all but end the game.
Coming off two close games, the Blue Devils were finally able to put an opponent away when presented with the opportunity.
"That been our Achilles' heel all season," Battier said. "We get up by 12 or 10 points and we can't give the knockout punch. It's that killer instinct we had the past two years. I think this team is finally developing it."
But without Battier's sudden turnaround at the half, Duke might not have put Georgia Tech away.
"Shane decided not to miss any more shots," Krzyzewski said. "He has that confidence that his next shot is his first shot. All of a sudden, he just got hot. He hit that first one to begin the half, then he was wide open for those threes because of Jason's penetration."
For most of the game, Battier had to defend either 7-foot Jason Collier or 6-foot-11 Alvin Jones. Chris Carrawell suggested this difficult defensive assignment helped explain Battier's early shooting woes.
"I think he played great tonight," Carrawell said. "That first half he had to get used to the pounding with Jones and Collier. Those guys are both NBA players."
Although Battier provided the deathblow, the victory against Georgia Tech was truly a team effort. The Blue Devils doubled-down effectively to stop Jones and Collier in what Krzyzewski called Duke's best defensive effort of the season.
But the win was not the product of defense alone. All six Blue Devils who saw significant minutes scored in double digits.
Williams was the only player to shoot below 50 percent from the floor. But he more than made up for his tough shooting night by netting eight assists, with only two turnovers, and playing tight defense on Tech point guard Tony Akins.
"That was his best game," Krzyzewski said. "I don't know his stats; I just know from watching him. He made good decisions, and after two not-so-good games on the road, I'm really pleased for him."
The Yellow Jackets kept the game close the entire first half, and despite being down by double digits for most of the second, Georgia Tech forced the Blue Devils to battle for every basket.
"It was a very close basketball game," said Krzyzewski. "I don't know what the final margin was, but from coaching it, I know that it was a very close game."
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