After taking down North Carolina Sunday, Wofford faced another opportunity to take down a Tobacco Road giant Thursday night. However, Duke would not let the Terriers put themselves in prime position for another upset, as the home team dominated in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils enter the locker room up 39-26 against Wofford.
Goldwire and Moore split PG duties in place of Jones
Jordan Goldwire got the start at point guard for Duke, as Tre Jones sat out with a mild foot sprain. Goldwire and Wendell Moore, who came off the bench, assumed Jones’ ballhandling duties. Neither player jumped off the stat sheet, but both took good care of the ball, finishing with no turnovers, keeping the Blue Devil offense running smoothly.
Wofford shows no fear in early going
Wofford already has a win during its Tobacco Road road trip, beating the Tar Heels Sunday. Its confidence showed in the opening half against Duke, as it took a one-point lead heading into the first media timeout. Duke tightened up after that, though, steadily building up its lead against the Terriers.
Both teams struggle with outside shooting
The Blue Devils haven't played a game since their tight ACC opener against Virginia Tech Dec. 6 and they were working off some rustiness from beyond the arc in the first half. The Blue Devils shot just 20 percent from beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes. Wofford has been a prolific 3-point shooting team on the year, but tonight it has managed to make just one of its six shots from outside.
... So both teams attack the paint
Interior defense has been a struggle for the Blue Devils all season, and tonight's first half has been no exception. The Terriers scored 12 of their 26 points in the paint thanks to smart passes to the inside and post-ups from junior Chevez Goodwin.
Duke took advantage of its superior height to bully Wofford down low, getting 16 points in the paint.
Player of the half: Matthew Hurt
Known as a deep-shooting threat, Hurt did his damage in the paint in the opening half, feasting on easy dunks and layups on cuts to the basket. He finished the half with eight points on 4-of-5 shooting and four rebounds, leading the Blue Devils in points and rebounds.
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Jake Satisky is a Trinity senior and the digital strategy director for Volume 116. He was the Editor-in-Chief for Volume 115 of The Chronicle.