Duke heart Kyle Filipowski attracts a nasty towards Georgia Tech ahead Ja’von Franklin within the first part of an NCAA faculty basketball recreation, Saturday, Jan 28, 2023, in Atlanta. (AP Picture/Hakim Wright Sr.)
AP
Atlanta
After such a lot of demanding video games, some tight finishes that went Duke’s manner this month and others that didn’t, the Blue Devils put the whole lot in combination to revel in a calming win on Saturday.
Duke shot a season-best 55.7%, nailed 9 3-pointers and performed its standard stifling protection to pound Georgia Tech, 86-43, in ACC basketball at McCamish Pavilion.
The similar Duke staff that went 5 video games in a row previous this month with out hitting 41% of its photographs hit 56% of its photographs over the primary 27 mins of Saturday’s recreation to open a 62-28 lead.
Kyle Filipowski scored 18 issues to steer 5 Duke avid gamers in double figures. Jeremy Roach added 12 issues and Mark Mitchell 11 whilst Ryan Younger and Jacob Grandison scored 10 issues every for the Blue Devils (15-6, 6-4 ACC).
After shedding 78-75 at Virginia Tech on Monday, two days after eking out a 68-66 house win over Miami at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Blue Devils took an 18-point halftime lead over Georgia Tech. Duke scored the primary six issues after halftime to open a 49-25 lead and rolled from there.
The Blue Devils did all that with out 6-7 freshman Dariq Whitehead, who had began the former 5 video games sooner than struggling a pressure to his decrease left leg at Virginia Tech. Whitehead was once now not in uniform for the Georgia Tech recreation, however was once at the court docket all through early portions of pregame warmups, appearing his go back isn’t a ways away.
Roach, who ignored 3 video games previous this month with a toe damage to his proper foot, returned to the beginning lineup after coming off the bench the closing two video games. He hit his first two 3-pointers to key Duke’s opening flourish.
Dereck Vigorous, Duke’s 7-1 freshman heart, began for the primary time time since Jan. 4 to supply 9 issues, 10 rebounds and 3 blocked photographs.
Georgia Tech (8-13, 1-10) shot simply 30.9 % whilst tallying a trifling 12 issues within the paint because of Duke’s intimidating top benefit.
Duke hit Georgia Tech with an early flurry of 3-pointers to transport in entrance and stored its offense sturdy to construct a 43-25 halftime lead.
The Blue Devils hit 4 in their first 6 3-point makes an attempt, with Roach hitting two and Filipowski and Vigorous one every as Duke took a 19-9 lead lower than 8 mins into the sport.
Georgia Tech’s lack of ability to get open seems to be within towards Duke’s defensive duration averted the Yellow Jackets from mounting a significant push after that.
The Blue Devils led 22-16 after they scored seven issues in a row on a Tyrese Proctor 3-pointer, a Proctor basket following a Vigorous offensive rebound and a Filipowski basket within the lane.
Main 30-23, Duke closed the primary part on a 13-2 run. 5 of the hampers got here within by means of both Filipowski or Younger. Grandison added a 3-pointer because the Blue Devils took an 18-point result in intermission.
Duke hit 15 of 31 photographs (48.3%) within the first part, together with 6 of 13 3-pointers. Georgia Tech had simply six issues within the paint whilst taking pictures 34.4% over the sport’s first 20 mins.
This tale was once firstly revealed January 28, 2023 5:02 PM.
Steve Wiseman has coated Duke athletics since 2010 for the Durham Bring in-Solar and Raleigh Information & Observer. He positioned 2nd in each beat writing and breaking information within the 2019 Related Press Sports activities Editors nationwide contest. In the past, Steve labored for The State (Columbia, SC), Bring in-Magazine (Spartanburg, S.C.), The Solar Bring in (Biloxi, Omit.), Charlotte Observer and Hickory (NC) Day by day Report overlaying beats together with the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints, College of South Carolina athletics and the S.C. Normal Meeting. He’s received a large number of state-level press affiliation awards. Steve graduated from Illinois State College in 1989.
