CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — It wasn’t a pretty game in Charlottesville last night. But the Blue Devils got the job done.
In a game where both Duke and Virginia scored their season low in points—and the total points scored was less than the combined score between the same two schools in football—the Blue Devils managed to grind out a win to end a successful week.
Fifty-six points was enough for No. 5 Duke (24-2, 11-1 in the ACC) to win the defensive battle against Virginia (12-13, 3-8), and secure the 15-point win. Most importantly, 56 points allowed the Blue Devils to maintain their lead in the conference.
This game was highlighted by strong defense from both teams. Duke had a total of 18 turnovers, its third most turnovers this season. Its defense, on the other hand, limited the Cavaliers to 28.6 percent shooting from the field and just 3-for-12 from 3-point range.
“We won a defensive struggle,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “Points were hard to come by.”
With Kyle Singler in foul trouble—the senior was limited to two points in just 23 minutes—Duke needed other players to pick up the offensive burden. Again, that duty fell to Nolan Smith, who led the team with 22 points and also grabbed seven rebounds while dishing out four assists. The senior was aided by big men Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee, who combined for 20 points.
“Nolan was a huge difference in the game,” Krzyzewski said. “To get 22 points in a game like that… that’s a lot of points.”
Both Smith and Singler started the game slowly, with Smith scoreless for the first 10 minutes of play and Singler scoring his only bucket at the 16-minute mark of the second half. Smith, however, got it going, displaying his whole arsenal of offensive weapons by scoring from the outside, off the dribble and in traffic.
“When they needed a bucket, Nolan Smith just took over,” Virginia head coach Tony Bennett said. “You saw why he’s the player he is.”
Smith’s senior counterpart, Singler, struggled while his teammate excelled. Krzyzewski, though, was quick to defend Singler’s performance, preferring to focus on the strong play and impact of Kelly and Seth Curry and the team’s win.
“Kyle had an unusually poor game,” Krzyzewski said. “He’s entitled to not playing well once in a while.… He’s a champion.”
Kelly again had an efficient shooting night, hitting five of his seven shots from the floor while also amassing four blocks throughout the game. Offensively, Kelly along with Mason Plumlee, was essential in providing mismatches against the undersized Virginia team.
“We try and make a point to get our big guys involved,” Smith said. “We know if we do that we’ll be a deeper team and a more explosive team.”
Kelly’s strong play showed the significant improvement the sophomore forward has gone through over the course of a year. From a freshman who rarely played, who himself admitted he was “too skinny” to guard bigger players at the college level, Kelly is now one of the most important players for the Blue Devils on both ends.
“I think it was Ryan Kelly’s best defensive game,” Krzyzewski said. “He’s not a leaper, but he’s long and he’s got good timing…. He’s had a terrific year…. We’re a much better team because of Ryan Kelly.”
Curry, another player who has improved since the start of the season, also had an important role on the defensive end of the court. The guard finished with three steals to add to the five he had last game. His defense was especially important in light of Duke’s game plan of limiting the Cavaliers’ shots from downtown. Singler called the defense beyone the arc the “primary reason” for the win.
“Our defense of the three was very good,” Krzyzewski said. “We tried to just stick with their 3-point shooters and make them two-point shooters.”
The win caps a successful week for the Blue Devils, starting with the comeback win against North Carolina and followed by two tough road wins.
“I’m proud of them for what they’ve done over the week,” Krzyzewski said.
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