CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.—No. 2 Virginia leads the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 49.2 points per game this season.
Head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s answer for the No. 4 Blue Devils?
Push the pace.
After a slow start, Duke (17-3, 4-3 in the ACC) used a 10-0 edge in fastbreak points to build a 26-25 halftime lead at John Paul Jones Arena Saturday night. Freshman swingman Justise Winslow looked healthy for the first time in weeks and led the charge, scoring 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting and adding six rebounds. Star center Jahlil Okafor was held scoreless and without a shot for 17 minutes, facing physical double teams every time he touched the ball. The Chicago native finished the period with just two points but did rack up six rebounds.
Both teams started 1-of-7 from the field before finding a rhythm and combining to make seven of their next eight field goal attempts. But the Cavaliers (19-0, 7-0) again suffered through a drought and the Blue Devils took advantage, using a 9-2 run—highlighted by a personal 6-0 spurt from Winslow—to take a 20-13 lead with 7:36 left in the first half.
Despite struggling to find the range for most of the period, Virginia used 10 offensive rebounds to keep Duke from getting too far in front. The Cavaliers used a 10-4 run to answer Duke’s push with one of its own and get the crowd back into the game quickly.
The Blue Devils struggled to create early in the shot clock late in the period and Virginia took advantage, closing the gap and taking most of the momentum into the locker room.
Observations from the first half:
- The Virginia crowd was extremely loud for the primetime showdown, making it very tough for the Blue Devils to operate in the early-going.
- Duke struggled on its first two possessions, which featured a Winslow air-ball from long range and two Okafor travels.
- Neither team scored until a Darion Atkins tip-in with 17:40 in the period, but Quinn Cook quickly responded to get the Blue Devils on the scoreboard.
- Free throws continued to haunt Duke, which went just 4-of-9. Amile Jefferson missed a late pair that could have extended the Blue Devil lead to five with a little more than a minute left in the period.
- Winslow started just 1-of-4, but showed the form that made him one of the Blue Devils’ best players early in the season. After Virginia went on a 6-0 run to cut the Duke lead to three, the Houston native had a key put-back to briefly quiet the crowd. The 6-foot-6 swingman also picked up two fouls, which could become a factor in the second half.
- Okafor’s absence in the scoring column for much of the half was not the only oddity for the Blue Devils, who did not make a 3-pointer. Duke was 0-of-4 from long range.
- Darion Atkins was by far the Cavaliers' most effective offensive player, scoring nine points on 4-of-9 shooting in the opening half.
- The Blue Devils used a man-to-man defense for the entire period after previously using zone against other opponents.
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