Recap: The Duke Blue Devils MBB Rally to Beat St. Johns

Coach Mike Krzyzewski earned his 1,000 career victory with a win over St. Johns on Sunday afternoon.

The Duke Blue Devils mounted a furious comeback to earn the victory, 77-68, versus the St. Johns Red Storm in Madison Square Garden.

The Blue Devils looked lost for much of the second half. They were getting out played and out hustled. St. Johns seemed to want it more.

With 8:32 left in the game the Blue Devils trailed by 10 points, 61-51. It didn’t appear that they had an answer for the energy level that the Red Storm were playing with.

After a Coach K timeout, the Blue Devils woke up. Quinn Cook converted a 3-point play, and then on the next Duke possession Tyus Jones converted on a 3-point play of his own.

Jan 25, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Tyus Jones (5) scores on an empty net during the first half against the St. John

Duke’s defense started to play better, and they were playing with emotion and intensity. Jahlil Okafor was a monster on the offensive glass, and his effort helped ignite the Blue Devils.

One of the biggest plays of the game came when Duke trailed by two points, 62-60, with 5:45 remaining in the game. Cook took a shot that every coach and fan was thinking that was a terrible shot, until the ball went in. Cook sank a 3-pointer from the top of the key with a hand in his face.

The Blue Devils regained the lead for the first time since there was 3:40 left to play in the first half. Once Duke got the lead, the Blue Devils never looked back.

Once Duke captured the lead, they never let it go. They were executing offensively, but more importantly their defense was aggressive.

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After the first half ended with a controversial call, the Red Storm had momentum on their side. St. Johns’ D’Angelo Harrison had the ball with the shot-clock and the game clock winding down. Harrison pulled up and drained a 3-pointer. The replay showed the ball was still clearly in his hands when the shot clock hit zero, but the officials were not allowed to review the play and the call stood.

The Duke Blue Devils first half was a tale of two different 10-minute stretches. The first 10 minutes of the game the Blue Devils looked like they were going to run St. Johns out of Madison Square Garden. Duke’s defense was playing well, they were forcing turnovers, getting out in transition and attacking the basket.

With 12:29 remaining in the half, Okafor threw down a vicious dunk to give Duke a 21-10 lead. The dunk by Okafor forced St. Johns into a timeout, and then the game changed.

The Red Storm came out of the timeout on a mission. For the final 10 minutes of the first half the game St. Johns took control and erased their 11-point deficit. With 3:40 left in the half St. Johns took their first lead since they led 7-5 just three minutes into game.

The Red Storm finished the half strong, and took a 43-39 lead into halftime. St. Johns benefited from two players having an extremely strong half. Rysheed Jordan scored 16 first half points, three assists and four rebounds, while Sir’Dominic Pointer contributed 13 points, three blocks, two steals, three assists and four rebounds.

3 Keys to the Win:

1. A change to the line-up: Coach K used a line-up he hasn’t used this year. Tyus Jones, Quinn Cook, Jahlil Okafor, Matt Jones and Marshall Plumlee. Yes, Marhsall Plumlee was a huge factor for the Blue Devils. He added a level of toughness, as well as another big body underneath. The new line-up sparked the comeback and gave Coach K his 1,000 career victory. Plumlee provided Duke with some great rebounds that changed the game.

2. A sense of urgency: The Blue Devils struggled all game long with their energy level and intensity, but when they were down 10 points in the second half everything changed. Duke started to play harder, they were being aggressive and showing emotion. For much of the game St. Johns was the aggressor. St. Johns was the team getting every loose ball, and diving on the floor. St. Johns was the team showing emotion and playing with a sense of urgency. The final eight minutes of the game it was all Duke.

Jan 25, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Jahlil Okafor (15) reacts to his dunk during the first half against the St. John

3. Quinn Cook: The senior leadership that Cook has provided for this young Duke team has been pivotal. Late in the second half Cook converted a 3-point play, dove for a loose ball on the defensive end, and sank a 3-pointer from the top of the key. He provided a much-needed lift for his teammates. Matt Jones and Marshall Plumlee fed off of Cook and played with an energy level and the effort that Duke lacked for the majority of the game.

Inside the Box Score:

Tyus Jones played one of his better games this season, and definitely his best game since December. Jones scored 22 points, dished out six assists and pulled down four rebounds. Jones hit a 3-pointer to put Duke up by seven late in the game, and ultimately cement the victory.

The Blue Devils dominated the rebounding battle 44-29. Duke hauled in 44 total rebounds and 15 of those came on the offensive glass.

Duke was loose with the ball and a bit sloppy. They finished the game with 16 turnovers while St. Johns only had nine.

After allowing Jordan, 16 points, and Pointer, 13 points, to dominate the first half, the Blue Devils held them in check in the second half. Jordan only managed to score two points in the second half and Pointer scored eight second half points.

Jahlil Okafor recorded another double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Duke’s next game is Wednesday January 28 at Notre Dame. Tip-off will be around 7:30 p.m.

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