FINAL - No. 1 Duke 60, VT 64
Messy passing from Duke and strong defensive play from VT results in Duke's second loss in the ACC. Check out the print edition of The Chronicle Monday for a game recap and analysis.
Of note: The Hokies are beginning to rush the court in masses.
12.7 seconds 2nd Half, No. 1 Duke 60, VT 63
Allen misses the first but sinks the second. A timeout is called with Blue Devil possession.
21.8 seconds 2nd Half, No. 1 Duke 60, VT 62
Two missed free throws from Green, and Smith is fouled. He misses the ball, but the rebound is gotten by Mason Plumlee, and the Blue Devils are down by three with 23.2 to go. Plumlee on the line this time. He makes the first. He misses the second, and Allen takes the rebound and is fouled by Singler.
47.3 seconds 2nd Half, No. 1 Duke 59, VT 62
A two from Singler is quickly followed by a three from Delaney--who now has 11 points. Singler again goes for the shot and manages to keep tipping the missed shot toward the basket, but the rebound is gotten by VT. A Mason Plumlee block leads to a dunk that closes the lead to three with one minute to go.
2:39 2nd Half, No. 1 Duke 55, VT 59
A goal tending call is made on Singler, and Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski calls a time-out. The stadium is incredibly loud, and the entire student section is standing as the very close game winds down to its final couple of minutes.
2:58 2nd Half, No. 1 Duke 55, VT 57
Another missed shot from right under the basket by Miles Plumlee, and VT takes the lead with two made free throws off a foul on Kelly. Singler also with a miss--a two point jumper from the left side of the court--but retrieves the rebound off a missed Hokies shot. And a massive block for VT inside the paint follows, though Dawkins manages to get the rebound.
If the Blue Devils want to close out with a eighth consecutive victory, they need to start taking better shots, getting rebounds, and working harder on defense.
4:39 2nd Half, No. 1 Duke 55, VT 55
A travel is called on Singler, and the Hokies get a chance with the ball, and their scoring drought is broken by a three from Allen. Aggressive play is seen from Smith, who penetrates the paint and goes in for a layup. More misses from VT are made up for by effective rebounding that lead to a dunk from Davila followed by a three from Bell. The crowd is explosive as the Hokies tie the score with just under five minutes remaining.
7:33 2nd Half, No. 1 Duke 53, VT 47
Missed shots have characterized a two-minute span in a scoreless game. Singler misses his third consecutive three from the same position. They're quickly followed by Davila's two missed free throws and Delaney's airballed three. Singler makes up for it by making two from the charity stripe.
9:20 2nd Half: No. 1 Duke 51, VT 47
The Blue Devils seem to have emerged from the locker room with an increased amount of enthusiasm, smoother passing and better shot selection. Singler seems to have found his favorite spot on the court on the right side behind the three-point line, though he has only made one of his last three attempts.
Of note: Duke's starting to employ a full-court press.
Also of note: Green has 3 fouls, and Allen and Bell have 2 apiece.
11:46 2nd Half: No. 1 Duke 48, VT 45
Again, with the rebounding--VT has 24 to Duke's 18, and it's beginning to be increasingly important as the lead goes back-and-forth. But one thing the Blue Devils have going for them is their presence in the post in blocking shots. Also, the Hokies' shooting percentage seems to be going down with poor shot selection that has players rushing. The game's physicality just keeps increasing as Delaney picks up his third foul with just six points on the board.
16:28 2nd Half: No. 1 Duke 40, VT 42
The Blue Devils look more ready to play and are being more careful in shooting though they seem to still be having trouble guarding faster players like Green and Bell. Rebounding remains a problem for Duke, as Virginia Tech's big men are getting plenty of second chances at scoring from inside the paint.
Of note: VT has accumulated 2 fouls and Duke 3.
Halftime Analysis:
Duke has effectively barred Delaney from his usual shooting performance and limited him to 1-of-4 shooting and two points from free throws. However, the Blue Devils are still seeing problems from the Hokies' abundance of shooters, as Green has 10 points, Allen has 9 and Davila has 8. Also to Virginia Tech's advantage is its 50 percent shooting compared to Duke's 43 percent.
However, the Blue Devils have exhibited a relatively strong presence in the post, leading in blocks 4-0. However, they trail the Hokies in points in the paint (Duke 14, VT 16).
One thing to definitely look for is better transition defense, guarding of perimeter players, and more careful (and better) shot selection.
Of note: Duke has 0 turnovers to VT's 4.
End of 1st Half: No. 1 Duke 31, VT 33
Points from Smith and Mason Plumlee serve to close the VT lead, but another Davila layup minimizes the effect the Blue Devils had on the score. A foul on Plumlee gives Delaney two easy points from the charity stripe. A three from Andre Dawkins ends the half, and the lead is narrowed down to two. Entering into halftime, it looks like Duke needs to work on its transition defense and rebounding.
3:32 1st Half: No. 1 Duke 22, VT 29
Delaney's first points come with just over 4:30 left in the first half, launching the entire coliseum into loud cheers and clapping. Green (10 pts), Davila (6 pts), and Allen (9 pts) have proved crucial throughout Delaney's lockdown. Another layup from Green extends the Hokies' lead.
7:51 1st Half: No. 1 Duke 18, VT 16
Tyler Thornton lands a shot from just behind the arc, and a steal from Thornton and a long pass to Smith--who fires off with a one-handed dunk--gives Duke its first lead in the game. The Hokies quickly retaliate, but a foul brings Singler to the free-throw line, and the Blue Devils are up again.
9:25 1st Half: No. 1 Duke 11, VT 14
Also, the Hokies' highly-touted Delaney has yet to earn points and has posted one foul. The Blue Devils are doing an active job of double-teaming him and playing a good job of guarding the post. Duke manages to tie the score before Green finishes off with a three-point play, giving VT yet another lead.
12:44 1st Half: No. 1 Duke 7, VT 9
The game is getting very physical and very personal very fast. The Maroon Monsoon--the name of VT's student section--seem to have picked its favorite Duke player to hate--Nolan Smith. Needless to say, the atmosphere is overwhelmingly in the Hokies' favor, with boos echoing throughout the coliseum every Blue Devil point and contested call. Singler makes a two to tighten the lead.
Of note: VT has two fouls--one each from Bell and Green. Duke has three--two from Curry, one from Miles Plumlee.
15:44 1st Half: No. 1 Duke 4, VT 9:
The Hokies are the first ones to put points on the board with Davila's two easy layups inside the paint. There seems to be a lack of presence in the post from the Blue Devils. Smith goes for a two-point jumper from just behind the charity stripe to put Duke on the board, as well. Allen is quick to show that his double-threat identity is not to be reckoned with as he easily sinks one for VT. And another two from Smith.
Of note: Curry has two fouls and is now sitting on the bench.
Starting Lineup:
Duke - Nolan Smith, Seth Curry, Mason Plumlee, Kyle Singler, Ryan Kelly
VT - Erick Green, Victor Davila, Jeff Allen, Malcolm Delaney, Terrell Bell
Pregame:
Looking to extend its seven-game winning streak, No. 1 Duke will face one of the biggest tests of the season at Blacksburg, Va. against a Virginia Tech team fighting for an NCAA Tournament spot.
The Blue Devils (26-2, 12-1 in the ACC) lead the Hokies (18-8, 8-5) in the overall series 36-7 and have won the last four meetings and the last three at Cassell Coliseum.
Boasting the senior pair of Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler, the latter of which went 10-of-19 from the field against Temple Wednesday, Duke will present Virginia Tech with matchup problems at every position. However, the Hokies' own Malcolm Delaney--who led the conference in scoring last season and ranks second behind Smith on the ACC in scoring--and Jeff Allen--who averages 13.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game--pose a very real threat to the Blue Devils' No. 1 standing in the nation, as well as their lead in the ACC.
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