After each Duke men's basketball game this season, check back here for the Player of the Game and more. On Saturday evening, the Blue Devils completed a season sweep of the Tar Heels, and the Blue Zone is here to break down the game:
One player: Kyle Filipowski
When the shots were not falling early, Duke had to find a way to get buckets at the rim. Just like he has all year long, freshman center Kyle Filipowski answered the call, putting up 22 points and 13 rebounds. Filipowski struggled early on in the game, missing some easy looks and being forced into turnovers, but he found his groove as the contest progressed, becoming the driving force of the Blue Devil attack. The freshman also got it done on the defensive end, tallying a block and a steal. Most importantly, he was able to play without fouling when moved to the center position due to foul trouble for graduate center Ryan Young and freshman center Dereck Lively II. After the controversial ending in Charlottesville, Va., Filipowski has bounced back phenomenally, putting up double-digit scoring in his last six games.
The Westtown, N.Y., native has been Duke’s workhorse all season, and the regular-season finale against North Carolina proved that this will continue to be the case going forward. The freshman has likely locked up ACC Rookie of the Year honors with his performance in Chapel Hill, and he will now be tasked with leading the Blue Devils to a deep run in the ACC tournament, beginning Thursday in Greensboro, N.C.
One word: Gutsy
When North Carolina took a 49-45 lead with 8:34 remaining, the game seemed to be slipping away from the Blue Devils. However, Duke was able to battle back for a 62-57 victory, completing the season sweep against the Tar Heels. To pull out the road victory, head coach Jon Scheyer had to draw every last ounce of energy from his squad to keep pace in the back-and-forth affair. With Duke’s bigs struggling with foul trouble, discipline was the deciding factor to stay within striking distance. When the time was right, the Blue Devils seized their opportunity to retake the lead, with Filipowski and junior guard Jeremy Roach coming up big down the stretch.
Duke largely struggled offensively for the majority of the contest, shooting 37.9% from the field and 30.8% from beyond the arc. The Blue Devils got buckets from multiple key contributors when it mattered most, with four starters finishing with double-figure scoring totals. Duke scored the last six points of the game, icing a tight one. Against a team like North Carolina, rebounding is always a big focus, and the Blue Devils did just enough to match the Tar Heels, with both teams grabbing 39 rebounds. Duke will certainly take this win no matter how ugly it was, as the victory allowed the Blue Devils to clinch a double-bye in the ACC tournament.
One stat: North Carolina 3-point percentage
The Tar Heels are one of the worst teams from deep in the ACC, with a 30.9% mark from three to close out the season. However, North Carolina recently seemed to find its stroke, going a combined 24-for-51 from beyond the arc in its two matchups heading into Saturday, correlating to important wins against Virginia and Florida State. However, the Tar Heels did not find the same success in their second matchup with the Blue Devils, going 5-for-23 from downtown. While the Tar Heels were cold shooting, missing multiple open opportunities, the Duke defense deserves some credit. The Blue Devils were constantly active on the perimeter, forcing contested shots at the end of the shot clock. As a result, Duke was able to neutralize some of North Carolina’s best shooters. Caleb Love, Leaky Black and Pete Nance finished the contest a combined 2-for-16 from three, a testament to Duke’s defensive effort.
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