Duke Blue Devils Use 2-3 Zone to Beat Pitt 79-65

The Duke Blue Devils used their new 2-3 zone defense to defeat the Pittsburgh Panthers 79-65 in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski may have found the formula for Duke to return to their winning ways. For the second consecutive game the Blue Devils ditched the man-to-man defense and went mainly with a 2-3 zone. The defensive switch has provided Duke with another tool to use.

In yet another tough ACC game Duke played extremely unselfish. They were constantly finding the open man, constantly making the extra pass and were rotating over on defense.

Jan 19, 2015; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Justise Winslow (12) and guard Quinn Cook (2) put defensive pressure on Pittsburgh Panthers guard James Robinson (0) in their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports

The stat sheet may only say that Duke finished the game with 16 assists, but the passes were there. The extra pass allowed good shots to turn into great shots.

The unselfish basketball got Duke in a rhythm from the opening tip. The Blue Devils started the game on a 10-2 run and never let up. After the 10-2 run for the Blue Devils to start the game, the Panthers deficit never got smaller than six points.

Duke used a number of small scoring bursts to break the game open in the first half. There was never really a big run that allowed Duke to take control, but it was the small runs that proved to be the difference.

It never really felt like Pitt was in the game or could mount a comeback in Durham on Monday night. With Duke in control for the entire game

The Duke Blue Devils took a 41-25 lead into the half. The 16 point halftime lead was built because the Blue Devils were playing defense and were actually making shots.

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In the first half Duke was 15-33 from the field, 45.5 percent, and 7-15 from three, 46.7 percent. For the first time in just over a week the Blue Devils offense showed up. Duke has not shot the ball well from three since they played at Wake Forest back on Jan. 7.

Throughout the first half the Blue Devil defense did what it was supposed to. The Pitt Panthers helped Duke out as well by missing some open shots, but overall Duke’s defense played well. In the first half Pitt shot a lowly 37 percent from the field and was 0-3 from three.

The Blue Devils have now played two consecutive quality games and look to be back to their winning ways. The genius of coach K is in his ability to adjust to every team he coaches and this team is no different.

Game MVP:

Duke got a great performance from a player who has been slumping since ACC play started. Tyus Jones was sharp from the beginning of the game and tied a career high with 22 points. Jones was extremely aggressive and was looking for his shot all game long. He finished the game with 22 points on 7-11 shooting from the field and 4-6 shooting from three. Jones also added four assists.

Bench Play:

A weakness for Duke this year has been their lack of bench scoring. They truly only have one player off the bench that can come into the game and score points. Rasheed Sulaimon played one of his better games this year. Sulaimon made his first four three-pointers of the game and finished the game 4-5 from deep. Sulaimon contributed 13 points off the bench and also chipped in with four rebounds and two steals. For Duke to continue to win they will need Sulaimon to continue to shoot the ball well.

Jan 19, 2015; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Tyus Jones (5) reacts after hitting a three point shot against the Pittsburgh Panthers in their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports

Inside the Box Score:

Quinn Cook posted an unlikely double-double. Cook scored 11 points but he grabbed a game high 10 rebounds. Cook led both teams in rebounding. Cook is only 6-2 and 185 pounds but he played big tonight. He didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, he was 3-10 from the field and 1-8 from three. His rebounding helped Duke win the battle of the board 36-32.

Okafor was held in check for much of the game and didn’t post a staggering line. He did finish with 14 points, five rebounds and a career high five assists. The thing that Okafor did extremely well that doesn’t show up in the box score was his passing. Okafor faced double teams throughout the game but was able to find the open teammate on a number of occasions. Even though he did have five assists, Okafor had a number of hockey assists.

What’s Next for Duke:

With the win Coach K is now at 999 career wins and will be going for win number 1,000 on Saturday. The Blue Devils travel north to play St. Johns in Madison Square Garden Saturday at 2 p.m.