Duke Pulls Away in the Second Half Versus Toledo

In the second half Duke’s defense helped propel the Blue Devils to its 11th straight victory.

Up only four points at the half and struggling on defense Coach K must not have been pleased with his team’s performance. The first half defense was weak and Toledo was getting any shot it wanted. Whatever adjustments were made at the half proved to be the difference in the game. You never really questioned whether Duke would win or not but the question became by how much.

Dec 29, 2014; Durham, NC, USA; Toledo Rockets guard/forward Justin Drummond (4) drives against Duke Blue Devils center Jahlil Okafor (15) in their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports

Duke ended up winning the game 86-69 over Toledo. Duke finally showed up on defense in the second half and it was obvious that they were going to pull away and control the game from the first minute of the second half.

The Blue Devils outscored the Rockets 45-32 in the second half and much of that scoring can be contributed to the players you have come to expect it from. Jahlil Okafor, Quinn Cook, and Tyus Jones set the pace for Duke and weren’t going to let Toledo pull a major upset.

Okafor was unstoppable from start to finish and dominated the entire game. He finished the game with 27 points, a new career high, and eight rebounds on 12-15 shooting. Okafor shot a perfect 4-4 from the field in the second half and went on a 7-0 run by himself. Not only was he efficient but he posted a few highlight reel dunks in the process.

The best part about Okafor’s game is his passing ability. He continually finds the open man making it nearly impossible to double him because the talent that surrounds him. Quinn Cook is taking complete advantage of playing with Okafor and Jones. Cook scored 20 points on 6-12 shooting but was only 2-6 from three.