The men's basketball team proved again that it is a second-half team. After posting a 29-point effort in the first half, the No. 7 Blue Devils (8-0) came back from a 12-point deficit to down Oklahoma in New York City 78-67.
NEW YORK -- The men's basketball team proved again that it is a second-half team. After posting a 29-point effort in the first half, the No. 7 Blue Devils (8-0) came back from a 12-point deficit to down Oklahoma in New York City, 78-67.
Trailing by 10 at the break, the Blue Devils turned the ball over moments into the second half when miscommunication caused Daniel Ewing to pass a ball intended for J.J. Redick out of bounds. The Sooners (6-2) regained possession and scored, forcing Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski to call a timeout, during which he asked his players to step up and be men in order to win.
From that point, Oklahoma watched as the Blue Devils erased the Sooners' lead in less than nine minutes. Shelden Williams and Ewing answered the call first, combining for 14 points in those nine minutes to cut into the deficit, but it was Redick who pushed Duke into the lead.
"Any time I get a couple shots in a row, it just gets me in a rhythm--whether it's a layup, whether it's an open three, whether it's a three with a hand in my face," Redick said. "When it clicks, it clicks."
And in the second half it certainly clicked for Redick, who led Duke with 26 points. With 11:42 left on the clock, the Player of the Game was fouled as he spun around a defender on a drive to the basket, creating a three-point opportunity. Sinking his free throw, Redick tied the game at 50 and gave Duke the lead 30 seconds later, hitting one of his four three-pointers.
Only five Blue Devils scored in the game, though each finished with at least 10 points. Redick scored more points in the second half (19) than any player on either team scored in the entire game, carrying Duke to its eighth-straight victory.
Shavlik Randolph, however, was not one of the five players that scored Saturday night. In 14 minutes on the court, Randolph managed to amass five fouls--forcing him to the bench with more than 11 minutes remaining in the game--and only one rebound.
Freshman DeMarcus Nelson and senior Reggie Love filled in for the remainder of the game, as Krzyzewski played small for much of the second half. Nelson finished the game with 11 points and five rebounds.
"Our game plan in the second half, when we really made our run, was to run motion offense, be basketball players, make the right reads and just play basketball," Nelson said. "And when we did that, the game really opened up and made things easier."
Although the Blue Devils shined in the second half, they struggled throughout the first period. Shooting just 44 percent from the field, Duke also turned the ball over 10 times in the first half. Using mostly set plays, the Blue Devils struggled with Oklahoma's strength and the inside presence provided by Taj Gray and Kevin Bookout, Krzyzewski said.
Nevertheless, Duke found a way to win in the second half thanks to its perimeter shooters and captains. With their first conference game only weeks away, the Blue Devils went home for a short winter break and will return to Durham to prepare for their rigorous ACC schedule next week.
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