PORTLAND, Ore.—Duke might have some of the best big men in the country, but the Longhorns controlled the paint in the first half.
Junior forward Dylan Osetkowski and freshman center Mohamed Bamba led the way for Texas in the first half, scoring 12 points and collecting 10 rebounds between them to help the Longhorns to a commanding 43-31 lead. Texas outrebounded Duke on both the offensive and defensive ends, beating Duke overall on the boards 22-16.
Texas' defense limited several of the Blue Devils' offensive weapons during the first half, with only three Duke players scoring until the 10:30 mark, when freshman Alex O'Connell made a fast-break layup.
Freshman Marvin Bagley III was tied for Duke's leading scorer with 10 points, and freshman Gary Trent Jr. helped keep Duke in the game with 10.
However, Bagley ran into foul trouble early. He picked up two fouls with nine minutes left, and senior Grayson Allen picked up his third on a charge with 7:30 left in the period. He continued to struggle from beyond the arc, missing two 3-pointers from the corner in the first four minutes of play on the way to a scoreless half.
Like he did in the first half against Portland State yesterday, Wendell Carter Jr. struggled, scoring only three points. The Blue Devils had trouble finding an offensive rhythm in the halfcourt set, and the Longhorns have been finding holes in Duke's 2-3 zone.
Guards Kerwin Roach Jr. and Andrew Jones combined for 20 points for Texas.
Here are some observations from the first half:
- Both O'Connell and sophomore Marques Bolden saw more playing time than usual in the first half, as they did against Portland State.
- Duke continues to struggle from the free-throw line, going 53.3 percent compared to the Longhorns' 87.5 percent.
- Roach brought the house down in the final minute with a one-handed dunk straight over Javin DeLaurier for the Longhorns.
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