The Miami Hurricanes came into Cameron Indoor Stadium and dominated the second half of the game en route to a 90-74 victory.
The second half of the game was never close. Duke never seemed to stand a chance. Miami played harder, they were tougher and they wanted it more. The Hurricanes exposed Duke’s defense.
Jan 13, 2015; Durham, NC, USA; Miami Hurricanes guard Angel Rodriguez (13) drives to the basket as Duke Blue Devils forward Justise Winslow (12) defends during the first half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
Angel Rodriguez came ready to play and he performed like the best guard in the ACC on Tuesday night. Rodriguez was able to beat his man off the dribble fairly easily all game long and get whatever shot he wanted. He scored 24 points on 8-15 shooting from the field and 4-6 shooting from three.
Not only did Rodriguez kill Duke offensively, but he wreaked havoc on the Duke guards defensively. Rodriguez had five steals. Yes five steals. The majority of his steals led to easy baskets for Miami in transition. To go along with his 24 points and five steals, Rodriguez recorded four rebounds and dished out five assists. He proved to be the difference maker in the game.
For the third straight game the Duke Blue Devils found themselves in another tough ACC battle. The Blue Devils and the Hurricanes spent the first half exchanging body blows in an extremely competitive half of basketball.
Neither team was able to go on a run in the first half, but instead were exchanging baskets and leads. The Blue Devils went into the half up 35-34 but the second half was a different story.
The Blue Devils came out of the locker room and Justise Winslow scored on a lay-up. After a Rodriguez basket Duke responded with an Amile Jefferson lay-up but then the Hurricanes went on a run.
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After Jefferson scored with 19:12 left in the second half Duke went scoreless for the next four minutes of play. In that stretch Miami went on a 9-0 run and took a 45-39 lead before Jefferson finally got a basket for the Blue Devils.
Duke’s offense disappeared in the first eight minutes of the second half. Miami’s offense took over. The Hurricanes took advantage of Duke’s horrid offense and took a 57-46 lead with 11:45 left to play.
Coach K said after the NC State loss that his team was not soft but they certainly played that way in the second half. Miami was having its way with the Duke defense. The Hurricanes were getting any shot they wanted.
In the second half Duke trailed by 15 points on two separate occasions. The Blue Devils trailed 69-54 with 6:51 left in the game and 77-62 with 3:57 left in the game.
From there it only got worse for Duke. The Blue Devils weren’t able to make a run or string baskets together. Duke couldn’t get a stop. If Duke made a shot the Hurricanes would answer quickly. Duke got the deficit down to 11, 79-68, with 2:22 to play. After that moment it was all Miami. The Hurricanes went on a 9-0 run and were up by 20 points, 88-68.
After shooting 36.9 percent from the field versus NC State on Sunday the Blue Devils had nowhere to go but up. They shot the ball better versus Miami in the first half but the shooting was not up to Duke standards. The Blue Devils went 13-29 from the field, 44.8 percent, and 3-9 from three, 33.3 percent.
Jan 13, 2015; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski gives instructions to his players during the first half against the Miami Hurricanes at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
In his halftime interview Jeff Capel said it best. “We have to make some shots first of all,” said Capel. “We have to do a better job of valuing the basketball, we have to be stronger and take advantage when Jah (Jahlil Okafor) gets doubled. When we get the ball down low we have to finish strong and we get those shots we have to knock them in.”
Duke was getting open looks because Miami was doubling down on Okafor and he was finding the open man. The ball movement for Duke throughout the first half was a good sign. They were looking to make the extra pass on most occasions.
The Blue Devils did force a couple of highly questionable shots that led to easy transition opportunities for the Hurricanes. Quinn Cook took a wild floater that hit only backboard and on the very next possession Okafor forced up a wild shot as well.
The momentum swung in Duke’s favor in the first half on a huge block by Justise Winslow. Rasheed Sulaimon lost the ball then dove on the floor and tried to pass the ball. Miami intercepted the pass and went racing down court but Winslow chased down Angel Rodriguez for a monster block. Cook grabbed the loose ball and Amile Jefferson finished with a lay-up on the other end of the floor.
The Blue Devils weren’t able to maintain the momentum as the Hurricanes were clicking on all cylinders. Duke was never able to take control of the game or go on any type of run. Miami and Duke played even basketball for 20 minutes but the next 20 was all Miami.
Where Did it Go Wrong?:
1. Duke got exposed defensively. For the second straight game they were not able to contain the opposing guards. For the second straight game Duke could not get a stop. Miami shot the ball extremely well. The Hurricanes shot 51.8 percent from the field and 50 percent from three. Duke wasn’t able to stop the dribble penetration.
2. Another game of poor shooting. The Blue Devils weren’t able to make a shot from anywhere on the floor. They shot 29-66 from the field, 43.9 percent, 6-21 from three, 28.6 percent, and 10-20 from the free-throw line.
Jan 13, 2015; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils starterscenter Jahlil Okafor (15) guard Tyus Jones (5) guard Quinn Cook (2) forward Amile Jefferson (21) and forward Justise Winslow (12) prepare to be announced prior to a game against the Miami Hurricanes at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
Story of the Game:
Jahlil Okafor, Amile Jefferson and Quinn Cook came to play and they were fighting the entire game. Okafor scored 15 points to go along with his 15 rebounds, eight offensive rebounds. Jefferson scored 14 points and had 12 rebounds, six offensive rebounds. Quinn Cook scored 18 points, six rebounds and four assists.
Cook, Okafor and Jefferson player hard from start to finish and were ready for a fight. The rest of the team did not show up in the game. If Duke needed a big rebound or a big play it was made by one of those three players. They fought until the end but on Tuesday night Cook, Okafor and Jefferson did not have the supporting cast they needed.
Game Notes:
The loss snaps Duke’s 41 game home winning streak, which was the longest home winning streak in the nation.
Duke is now 26-3 following a loss since 2009-2010. This was also just the third time since the 2009-2010 season that Duke has lost back-to-back games.
This was the first time the Blue Devils have lost at Cameron Indoor Stadium after suffering a road loss since Feb. 4, 2007, when they lost to Florida State 68-67.
What’s Next for Duke:
Duke must find a way to come together and figure out who they are as a team. Duke travels to Louisville on Saturday in a clash of two hall-of-fame coaches. The Blue Devils must play better defensively if they want to put an end to their current two game skid.
With the loss Duke falls to 14-2 overall and 2-2 in ACC play.