As the Duke Blue Devils (18-1, 6-1 in the ACC) and the Virginia Cavaliers (14-3, 4-3) headed into the locker room with the score tied 42-42, both teams had significant problems to deal with. In the end, the difference was that the Blue Devils had a problem they could fix.
"We didn't come out with any emotion," guard Chris Duhon said. "We weren't fighting and we played no defense. We've been working so hard the last couple of weeks to come out like and have a performance like that in the first half. Coach [Mike Krzyzewski] got on us at halftime. He expects so much from us and he wants the best for us. We did a great job of responding.
There was nothing coach Pete Gillen could do about the foul trouble his big men found themselves in at the half. Four players went into intermission with three fouls, including center Travis Watson.
"We played aggressively and they called some fouls on us," Gillen said. "Travis Watson had a couple of tough fouls called on him, but that's part of the game. It's tough to win when you get a great player like that in foul trouble."
That gave the Blue Devils a huge edge heading into the second half as Carlos Boozer, despite the physical play that netted
"I think Carlos is playing excellent basketball," Krzyzewski said. "He's not committing the tired fouls that he was committing early in the season. He's maturing as a player and learning to have discipline. That comes with wisdom and maturity."
The second half opened in disastrous fashion for the Cavaliers as Watson and two teammates picked up their fourth fouls in the first four minutes.
"We were in trouble before that," Gillen said. "They are a smart team and they took advantage of that. We were in tremendously deep foul trouble and that was a key to the game. We went into a zone once and they scored in like 1.2 seconds."
Eventually both Jason Clark and Chris Williams would foul out of the game.
Virginia rates as one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the conference. But as it eased up slightly due to the foul trouble, Boozer and the rest of the Blue Devils took over the inside on defense, holding the Cavaliers to only four offensive rebounds in the second half.
"Our defensive intensity in the first half wasn't what we needed," Boozer said. "It was a better defensive effort in the second half.
With Boozer keeping the Virginia's big men away from the offensive glass, the Blue Devils were able to push the ball into transition and run the Cavaliers off the court.
"It was huge," Duhon said of Boozer's defensive work. "They lead the ACC in rebounding and they send everybody. We knew that if we got the rebounds we could run the other way. We got defensive rebounds and it got us into our game--transition. That was the key to the game."
On the offensive end of the floor, Virginia's frontcourt had no answer for Boozer, as he scored 15 points in the second half to net 25 for the game.
"We were aware of the foul trouble," Duhon said. "We knew that if we could get it inside, that's great. We don't change our style. But we knew that they were in foul trouble and if we got Carlos the ball, they couldn't stop him inside. He was open and we tried to get it two him. Carlos did a great job in there. He gave us enough to win."
Boozer left pleased with a dominant performance.
"I'm playing very well," he said. "I'm feeding off my teammates and I am picking it up on the defensive and offensive end."
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