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Warm weather, pre-game festivities and the excitement of a new beginning for Duke Football brought over 3,200 fans to watch the Blue Devils play at Wallace Wade Stadium Saturday in their first Spring Game under new head coach David Cutcliffe.
As Duke has developed into a perennial powerhouse, it has been rare for the team to come in as a true underdog in any contest. But facing No. 1 Northwestern Sunday afternoon in Koskinen Stadium, the seventh-ranked Blue Devils found themselves matched up against a Goliath.
It was the largest comeback victory in the history of the NCAA tournament-a stunning 14-13 win for Virginia, which overcame a ten-goal deficit in the final 20 minutes of play to beat Duke in the final four May 25.
Coming off a hard fought 12-11 win over then-No. 9 Georgetown March 15, the Blue Devils' remaining schedule showed they had a week to prepare but no time to waste.
Between last Saturday's emotional comeback victory over N.C. State and Duke's upcoming blockbuster matchup against No. 1 North Carolina Saturday, it would be easy to overlook Virginia.
When they last faced Maryland Jan. 14 in College Park, the Blue Devils were dominated on the glass and from the free-throw line and failed to come away with a win.
In the first half of Saturday's contest against Miami, the No. 3 Blue Devils went 10-of-21 from the free-throw line, and senior Demarcus Nelson had scored just two points.
BLACKSBURG, Va. - Thursday night's game at Virginia Tech seemed all-too-familiar for Duke. Fifteen seconds into the second half, Virginia Tech's leading scorer, junior guard A.D. Vassallo, pulled up and nailed a big three pointer to make it a 42-41 game, putting the Hokies within one point of Duke. Cassell Coliseum, with fans in full "orange effect," erupted into a frenzy and the Blue Devils, which ended the opening half slowly, looked a bit shaken. But then Kyle Singler showed up-responding to Vasallo's big-game play with a three of his own which silenced the crowd and helped spark No. 4 Duke's second half dominance, leading to a decisive 81-64 win Thursday night over Virginia Tech (11-8,2-3 in the ACC). "I just had to stick with it," Singler said. "I knew the team was in it with me. We were playing alright, not well, and in the second half we were playing a lot better-playing like men." Besides his crowd-muffling trey, Singler added 13 more points after halftime, finishing with a team-high 16. But just 1-of-6 from the floor in the first, Singler was an unexpected resurgent force for Duke (16-1, 4-0), which used the second half to showcase its offensive talent and ability to hold its own in an aggressive and physical ball game. With the Hokies' leading big man, freshman Jeff Allen, suspended for two games for contact with an official, the Blue Devils showed clear signs of wanting to work the ball inside early. They ended the game matching the Hokies with 40 points in the paint, something the squad has struggled to do all season. "We're not a big team with a big center, so guys are going to think that they can push us around," 6-foot-4 Gerald Henderson said. "But we have a lot of fight in our team." Virginia Tech did not give up on its post-play either, which led to a game-long battle near the basket. And with offensive strategy focused near the hoop for both teams, the game was certainly physical and required a tough-minded mentality. "Our team responded well to [the aggressiveness]-and that's just the ACC," Demarcus Nelson said. "We have to tip our hats to Virginia Tech, they played hard and they played strong... We're all men out there, and its going to be a physical game." The teams recorded a combined 49 fouls on the night, with 52 trips to the free-throw line, and at times things seemed to be on the verge of getting out of hand. Even within the games' first five minutes, junior Dave McClure, who started, was sent to the bench with two fouls. "We got into foul trouble early in the first half and we had to play a little passive, trying not to foul-and that's not how we play the game," said Nelson, who fouled out with a technical later in the contest. In the second half, however, Duke stayed out of foul trouble and was able to put together a run without the stress of players being relegated to the bench. Aside from the physical play, pressure on Duke came mostly from the stands. Every time junior guard Greg Paulus touched the ball, the Hokie fans booed incessantly and when he threw up an air ball, it got even louder. "It's a tough place to play with the atmosphere and the crowd, and we needed to be ready for that kind of intensity," Paulus said. "It makes you want to compete." But Duke coughed up the ball a mere 12 times in the contest while forcing 12 Virginia Tech turnovers after halftime and generating 11 steals on the night. The win away from home adds to the Blue Devils' momentum as they continue ACC play, which they will need in their next game as they face the Maryland Terrapins Sunday in College Park. NOTES: Leading Virginia Tech onto the court in the pre-game festivities, Hokie forward Deron Washington botched on a dunk on an open-hoop, causing an awkward but subtle quieting of the crowd.... Krzyzewski said after the game that he thought the freshmen continued to make strides and helped the team get the win Thursday. Nolan Smith, Taylor King, and Singler were 12-26 from the floor for a collective 33 points in the game.
Coming off four consecutive wins, including two double-digit conference victories over the likes of Virginia and Florida State, the Blue Devils are on a roll.
CHARLOTTE - Although Davidson was down 16 late in the first half and its best player, Stephen Curry, committed his fourth foul eight minutes into the second, the pesky Wildcats stayed in the game with Duke until the final buzzer.
At first glance, No. 7 Duke's upcoming game against Davidson looks like another soft non-conference game, especially when compared to its last contest against Big Ten power Wisconsin Tuesday.
With less than a minute to go, Emily and Abby Waner walked off the court in Magness Arena to a standing ovation from what seemed like a personal fan section for the former Colorado Miss Basketball honorees.
When center Chante Black finally gets the chance to pair up with forward Carrem Gay, it will mark the beginning of a new era for the Blue Devil frontcourt.
Although the Seminoles unveiled a spiffy new uniform for the 2007-2008 season, the players who will take the court for Florida State this season should look very familiar.
On a warm All Hallow's Eve at Davidson's Alumni Soccer Stadium, the Blue Devils were haunted by a familiar storyline.
Head coach John Rennie gazed out on the rain-soaked field Friday night at Klockner Stadium for the final time.
When the No. 17 Blue Devils take on No. 5 Virginia Tech tonight, it will be the second consecutive game in which they take on an ACC opponent ranked among the top five teams in the country.
All the ingredients were there for an emotionally inspired match: a sizable home crowd, senior night and a pre-game ceremony honoring longtime head coach John Rennie.
Before its game tonight against the No. 2 Demon Deacons, the Blue Devils will honor the 29-year career of John Rennie, the fifth-winningest head coach in Division-I history and the man who led Duke to its first national title in any sport.
Over the last two years, Duke has struggled to beat Clemson, losing a game in each season to its ACC foe.
