HALFTIME: Virginia 28, Duke 25

Points were expected to be at a premium here in Greensboro on championship Sunday. Virginia holds a slim edge at the half, 28-25, as a sluggish start gave way to fireworks down the stretch in the opening 20 minutes. Duke struggled offensively against a Virginia defense that leads the nation in points per game allowed, missing nine of its first 12 shots, but recovered with a 9-1 run to stay in the game. The Cavaliers sprinted ahead behind torrid shooting but their efficiency did not last, as Tony Bennett's club endured more than an eight-minute stretch without a field goal. Jabari Parker leveled the score at 19-19 with a stepback 3-pointer, one of the first shots in rhythm he had in the first 20 minutes.

Here are some observations from the first half:

• The Cavaliers opened strong, scoring on four of their first five possessions to bury Duke in an early 9-2 hole. First team All-ACC pick Malcom Brogdon paced Virginia, scoring eight of the Cavaliers' first 13 points.
• Virginia was the clear aggressor early, scrapping for and winning nearly every loose ball. The Cavaliers pulled down four quick offensive rebounds, many of which hit off Blue Devil hands. Duke leads the rebounding battle at the half 20-17, mostly because of a series of ineffective tip attempts that counted as offensive rebounds.
• Amile Jefferson scored the first four points for Duke as Akil Mitchell and Joe Harris put the clamps on Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood. The Blue Devil duo missed their first five shots and finished the half a combined 4-of-18. Hood finally broke into the scoring column with a 3-pointer with 8:53 left and rattled home a 3-pointer late in the period to bring Duke to within three at 28-25.
• An issue that has plagued the Blue Devils in their losses this season resurfaced in the first half of Sunday's game—foul trouble. Parker, Tyler Thornton and Rasheed Sulaimon each picked up two personals in the opening frame, and the Blue Devils put the Cavaliers in the bonus with more than 10 minutes remaining.
• As a result of Duke's foul trouble, the Cavaliers entered the bonus at the 8:28 mark of the first half and shot 14 free throws. The Blue Devils made just three trips to the charity stripe in the first period.
• Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski was assessed a technical foul coming out of a timeout, his second technical of the year.
• As the lower seed, Duke was unable to continue its three-game streak of wearing throwback white jerseys. They're sporting the blue jerseys today, which at least will keep the conspiracy theorists satisfied—no black uniforms today.