For the second time in three contests, Duke struggled to score in the final minutes of a close game. Fortunately for the Blue Devils, the outcome of Tuesday's game was better than last week's against Marquette-barely.
After scoring just four points in the final six minutes of its loss to the Golden Eagles in the finals of the CBE Classic Nov. 21, Duke nearly had a repeat performance. The Blue Devils led 53-46 with 5:04 left on the clock but squandered the lead, scoring just one more point the rest of the way and letting a gritty Indiana team have a chance to tie it on the final possession.
The Blue Devils converted just one field goal over the final 10 minutes of the game and shot just 22 percent in the second half. Duke had only four-that's right, only four-field goals after halftime.
"We showed a little bit of our youth on the offensive side and that gave them a whole lot of confidence," sophomore David McClure said. "It's a big game environment, and it's one of the first times we're in that as a group, so it's something we just have to learn from."
The problem is plain and simple. The Blue Devils have no offensive identity right now. On defense, they are way ahead of schedule for such a young team-playing what head coach Mike Krzyzewski called "beautiful basketball." But on offense, Duke is lost in crunch time.
Without the leadership of J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams, the Blue Devils are without a cocky offensive scorer who demands the ball when the game is on the line.
Many thought Josh McRoberts would be that player, but through the season's first six games, he's been looking to pass more than he is trying to score. He took just eight shots Tuesday, marking the fifth time in seven games this season he has attempted eight shots or fewer. Down the stretch against Marquette McRoberts did get the ball, but even then he couldn't convert his chances.
DeMarcus Nelson-the team's elder statesman-is trying to fill that role. He scored 13 of the game's first 15 points, and then in the second half seemed to want the ball. But as the Hoosiers were staging their comeback attempt in the final eight minutes, Nelson was whistled for a palming and a traveling violation and also missed two crucial free throws-one of which was an air ball.
Making matters worse Tuesday was the fact that sophomore point guard Greg Paulus fouled out of the game with more than three minutes to go, forcing Nelson and freshman Jon Scheyer to shift out of position.
Unfortunately for Duke, there's no easy solution to this problem. The Blue Devils simply need experience.
"You fix that with continuity and playing, by being 18 and six months, instead of five months," Krzyzewski said. "It'll just come by playing this schedule and being in this situation."
Had it not been for the exceptional Blue Devil defense-particularly that of McClure, who had a block and a steal in the final 34 seconds-Duke would have fallen.
"To play with this low of an efficiency and still win is kind of incredible, really," Krzyzewski said. "I just hope we can keep playing defense and the offense will come around."
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