Jahlil Okafor may be the Blue Devils' best player, but with the big man in a boot and on the bench, it has been another freshman that has been turning heads at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
No. 4 Duke leads Clemson 42-27 at the half Saturday afternoon, led by Justise Winslow, who has contributed a game-high 17 points and six rebounds as the offensive catalyst for a Duke team missing its best player.
The Blue Devils decided to go small with their starting lineup, putting Quinn Cook, Tyus Jones, Matt Jones, Winslow and Amile Jefferson on the floor to start the game.
The Tigers kept things close and took a five-point lead when Landry Nnoko connected on jumper with 15:17 left to put Clemson up 11-6. But Duke's rookies would team up with their senior captain to get Cameron Indoor back into the game.
Freshman Grayson Allen and Marshall Plumlee entered the game following the under-16 media timeout and Plumlee picked up his first foul within 20 seconds of play. Allen did not give fans much time to think about the redshirt junior's foul, though, as the freshman converted on an alley-oop from Cook.
The senior captain then converted on a jump shot and fed Winslow for a transition 3-pointer to cap a seven-point run for the Blue Devils and give back the lead at 13-11.
The Tigers would fight back to retake the lead on a Rod Hall jump shot, putting them up 15-13. But once again, Duke received a boost from Winslow and Allen, as the two combined for the next seven points. The pair's scoring run coincided with a stout defensive stand for the Blue Devils, as Clemson went scoreless for the next 3:14. By the time it was over, Duke had put together an 18-5 run, with Winslow pouring in 12 of his 17 points during the run.
Observations from the first half:
- Justise Winslow was aggressive on the offensive end from the tip, as he consistently attacked the basket. Five of his seven field goals were layups.
- Duke has not missed Okafor down low, as the Blue Devils have outscored Clemson 30-18 in the paint.
- After combining for 44 points against North Carolina, Tyus Jones and Quinn Cook have combined for 14 so far against the Tigers.
- Neither team has had the hot hand from downtown. Clemson is 2-of-10 from long range and Duke has converted just 1-of-7 3-pointers.
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