STORM BREWING: Hurricanes deal Duke basketball second straight loss, 90-74

Same story, different night.

For the second time in as many games, No. 4 Duke was out-hustled, out-competed and out-played by a conference opponent, falling to Miami 90-74 Tuesday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium. After dropping consecutive regular-season games for the first time since Feb. 15, 2009, head coach Mike Krzyzewski said his team's confidence has taken a major hit since cruising to an impressive 14-0 start.

"We didn't just lose tonight—we got our butt beat," Krzyzewski said. "I just have felt since Christmas that there's something missing with our group that we have.... I haven't been able to figure out how to change it."

Redshirt junior Angel Rodriguez was a defensive nightmare for the Blue Devils (14-2, 2-2 in the ACC), scoring a game-high 24 points, including 15 in the second half.

"Our defense has been non-existent for two games," Krzyzewski said. "Rodriguez was sensational. He not only scored—he just controlled the game. That's one of the best performances that I've seen in Cameron from an opposing player."

Rodriguez led a Miami backcourt that combined for 33 of the team's 56 second-half points. Reserve guard Manu Lecomte added 23 points, dropping in three of his four attempts from behind the arc.

The Hurricanes (12-4, 2-1) played at gale force after trailing 35-34 at the half, using 9-0 and 10-0 runs in the first 8:32 of the second half to open a commanding double-digit lead. The quickness of the Hurricane guards plagued Duke's defense all night long, causing major issues for the Blue Devils as they tried to defend ball-screens.

Duke's decision to switch on high screens often left freshman center Jahlil Okafor and junior forward Amile Jefferson isolated on Rodriguez, Lecomte and freshman guard Ja'Quan Newton, who blew by their larger defenders en route to easy buckets. Even when switches were picked up by the Blue Devils' more athletic guards and wings, they seemed to be a step behind.

Okafor and Jefferson each posted double-doubles for Duke, combining for 29 points and 27 rebounds on the evening. But the duo's offensive efficiency was overshadowed by their inability to stop Miami's guards from streaking to the rim.

When Duke was unsuccessful on the offensive end, it was victimized by the Hurricanes' torrid offensive pace. Miami pushed the ball up the court relentlessly off Blue Devil misses, leading to a number of easy fast-break opportunities in their two game-changing runs.

"It only takes a fraction of a second when you're watching and a shot is missed," Krzyzewski said. "If you think about that missed shot, you're not thinking about getting back."

At the end of a back-and-forth first half, Duke appeared to seize momentum heading into the locker room when a thunderous block by freshman forward Justise Winslow sparked a 5-0 run that was capped by a corner three from junior guard Rasheed Sulaimon with 1:01 remaining. That energy was quickly erased by Rodriguez and the Hurricanes when play resumed after intermission.

A new year usually symbolizes new beginnings, but 2015 has not been kind to Duke. After opening conference play with a convincing win against Boston College, the Blue Devils have watched their dominance slip away, clawing out an eight-point win against Wake Forest before losses against N.C. State and Miami, marking the first time Duke has lost back-to-back games by double digits since 1996.

"Everybody's been praising us—we're just so young and naive and we haven't played with the same type of aggression and sense of urgency since Wisconsin," senior guard Quinn Cook said after his team's first home loss since March 3, 2012. "To hear Cameron like that is not a good feeling."

The Blue Devils' rocky road through the ACC isn't getting any easier. To avoid losing three consecutive games for the first time since the 2006-07 season, Duke will have have to upend No. 6 Louisville on the road in the first-ever conference matchup between the teams.

"I'm really disappointed. This wasn't the vision that we had, but this is reality," Jefferson said. "We have to find a way to get better. We're a good team, and we know we're a good team, but that's not good enough."