After 20 minutes of play, with Miami sinking its shots at a ridiculous 46.5 percent clip, part of the Hurricanes' first half trampling of the Blue Devils looked like a shooting clinic.
But the Hurricanes also refused to allow Duke second chances, dominating the Blue Devils near the glass by grabbing 20 defensive boards before the break to earn a 25-14 rebounding advantage.
Duke was scrambling to find someone to stem the Hurricane tide.
Cue Dave McClure-a senior reserve averaging just 16.3 minutes, four boards and 2.1 points per game this year. With only a brief look at the statistics, it would be easy to assume that McClure is an unlikely source for such an important performance.
But it was McClure's presence inside that proved to be the answer to the Blue Devils' rebounding woes.
On the court for 29 minutes-21 of which came in the second half and overtime-Mclure snagged 13 total rebounds, the most of any player on the court.
"I was just trying to get after it. I pretty much know when my teammates are going to shoot, so I try to get in a position to get the ball," he said. "And I know if I can get it, it can be another 35 seconds for our team, or, if I can get another quick one out, hopefully another three. I think everybody on our team is trying to find ways to help, and today that's where I found the niche."
Listening to the way both head coaches spoke of McClure following Saturday's contest, calling his role a 'niche' seems like a strong an understatement. For both coaches, a game like the one McClure had Saturday is what is expected of him when he steps on the floor.
"He's a selfless player, which I love guys like that," Miami head coach Frank Haith said. "He goes out there and he's not worried about scoring. He's worried about what he has to do to help his team win. He guarded Jack [McClinton] and he did a lot of little things. Everybody wants a guy like that on their team, so he's a valuable guy for them."
"The relentless pursuit of the ball by McClure was just a great example for the rest of the guys," Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "McClure was huge in this game."
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