They say the devil is in the details. But in Durham, the Blue Devils are in the details — and numbers:
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Georgia Tech men’s basketball team arrived at Cameron Indoor Stadium hoping to repeat its Dec. 2 72-68 victory against Duke, but the Blue Devils had other plans. After a close battle, they exacted revenge on the Yellow Jackets and emerged on top in a tight 84-79 game Saturday evening.
Georgia Tech kept Duke on its toes with a widely successful shooting night, wielding a 55% 3-point percentage. Each of the Yellow Jackets’ top three scorers also banked more than 15 points, forcing the Blue Devils to devote extra attention to defense. However, while Georgia Tech’s 3-point shooting almost became Duke’s downfall, it was a three made by sophomore center Kyle Filipowski that kicked off a 13-2 run and pulled the Blue Devils back into the game.
The Westtown, N.Y., native came in as Duke’s top scorer of the night and also added some "threes" of his own to the game. With less than three minutes left, he managed to match his career-high scoring total of 29 points. But that wasn’t enough for the AP Preseason All-American, who banked his 30th point at the free throw line moments later for a new career high.
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Duke women’s basketball also taught Georgia Tech a lesson in Cameron, crushing the Yellow Jackets 84-46 in a decisive victory Sunday afternoon. The Blue Devils jumped out to an early 10-4 lead at the 6:10 mark in the first quarter with points from four players: Reigan Richardson, Taina Mair, Ashlon Jackson and Jadyn Donovan. Duke then maintained its winning position for most of the game, heading into the locker room at the break with a 36-24 lead. The Blue Devils put the finishing touches on the win by outscoring the Yellow Jackets 20-5 in the fourth after several impressive scoring runs.
Duke also outstripped Georgia Tech in rebounds and steals. Though the Yellow Jackets collected four offensive rebounds, the Blue Devils tallied thirteen over the course of the game. This difference allowed Duke to add an extra 14 second-chance points to the final score. The Blue Devils also limited Georgia Tech to four steals while taking nine of their own.
Four players hit double figures in scoring during the game. Oluchi Okananwa led Duke with 21 points, 14 of which came from the second half. Donovan collected 12 points, while Jackson and Mair each recorded 11. This excellence across the board allowed the Blue Devils to earn the victory against the Yellow Jackets and send a second Georgia Tech basketball team home defeated.
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