For the first several minutes, it seemed as if Duke was not going to miss from downtown.
The No. 14 Blue Devils have opened up a 50-23 lead on the Hokies after 20 minutes of play at Cameron Indoor in their ACC home opener, paced by eight 3-pointers and three double-digit scorers.
The Blue Devils started the game in stellar fashion. Freshman swingman Brandon Ingram hit 3-pointers on Duke's the first two possessions of the game, followed by two more from sophomore Grayson Allen over the next three possessions. Allen and Ingram scored 12 points apiece to lead the way for the Blue Devils.
The Hokie defense tried to stop the offense with five fouls over the first 3:03, but it failed to force the turnovers that helped Buzz Williams' squad defeat No. 4 Virginia on Wednesday. Virginia Tech had just two fast-break points during the first half.
After the electric start, Duke's perimeter shooting cooled slightly, but the insertion of freshman guard Luke Kennard into the game rejuvenated the offense. He drilled a 3-pointer for his first shot, and on the next possession showed off his passing abilities. At the top of the key, he looked to his right, then looked downcourt for an open Matt Jones in the corner. Jones drained the triple, giving the Blue Devils a 24-7 lead.
On the other end, the Hokie offense could not get into a rhythm. Virginia Tech missed all eight of its attempts from beyond the arc and committed eight turnovers, seemingly unable to penetrate Duke's defense. And when the Hokies did, they could not find open looks—getting blocked five times—and picked up just one offensive rebound.
Freshman Chase Jeter—who has played limited minutes this season—received a full embrace from Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski after picking up a charge with 7:44 remaining.
Before the opening tip, both teams held a moment of silence for former Duke head coach Bill Foster, who passed away Thursday at the age of 86. Foster led the Blue Devils to an appearance in the 1978 national championship game.
Here are some observations from the first half:
- Redshirt junior Zach LeDay—the Hokies' leader in points and rebounds—could not maneuver around the bigger Marshall Plumlee. LeDay scored two points, both on free throws.
- Ingram went 4-6 from the field, including 3-of-5 from deep.
- Plumlee dominated the Hokies physically. In addition to eight rebounds, on one play he picked up two offensive rebounds, including his own miss, and followed with one of his three dunks. Plumlee has 10 points, closing in on a double-double
- The Blue Devils shot 50 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from deep. Freshman guard Derryck Thornton has played a big role in that with six assists.
- Of Duke's first 13 shots, 12 were 3-pointers, and seven of them went in.
- Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera is in attendance at today's game. The Panthers have the No. 1 seed in the NFL playoffs and thus do not play this weekend.
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