Duke Blue Devils MBB Survives and Beats Georgia Tech in Cameron Indoor

The Duke Blue Devils earned a hard-fought 72-66 victory over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Wednesday night.

The Blue Devils got more than they bargained for when the Yellow Jackets showed up to play. Georgia Tech played hard from start to finish but just didn’t have the talent to match Duke.

Duke could never find that extra basket, or that extra stop to put Georgia Tech away and finish them off early. Every time the Blue Devils would extend their lead, Georgia Tech had an answer.

With 11:46  left in the first half the Blue Devils went on a 8-0 run and took a 21-16 lead. Once Duke got the lead they never gave it up. Even though the Blue Devils held the lead for the majority of the game, they were never able to put the game away.

Duke’s largest lead of the game was 10 points, which came with 5:13 left in the first half. For the rest of the game both teams played a tightly contested battle.

For every run Duke would go on, Georgia Tech would answer back. Georgia Tech had to dig deep to avoid getting blown out. In the second half Duke took a seven point lead on two separate occasions, 51-44 and 63-56.

Even though Duke managed to create some separation, they never managed to end the game. Once the Blue Devils gained a lead, Georgia Tech found an answer. The game was tightly contested and the Yellow Jackets fought hard until the end.

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The Blue Devils got off to an extremely slow start. They were playing sluggish and a little sloppy, but they quickly bounced back. Georgia Tech started the game with a 7-2 lead, but weren’t able so sustain the early momentum they gained.

After a slow start the Blue Devils woke up and quickly erased the early deficit. Duke took a 38-34 lead into the half and held on late to win their 19th game of the season and their 6th game in ACC play.

With the victory Coach K broke yet another record. Coach K recorded his 423 career victory in ACC play, which is the most all-time. He just passed Dean Smith for the record.

Keys to the Game:

Duke’s defensive pressure was one of their best performances of the season. The Blue Devils forced 14 turnovers, but 9 out of the 14 turnovers were steals that led to easy points for Duke. The Duke defense pressured the ball in the half-court and never allowed Georgia Tech room to operate. The Blue Devils cut off the passing lanes and were solid in help defense.

The Blue Devils benefited greatly from another outstanding performance from Justise Winslow. Winslow recorded his second straight double-double. He scored 15 points and collected 10 rebounds. Winslow was spectacular throughout the game. He was aggressive attacking the basket and played spectacular defense.

A balanced Duke offensive attack was key for Duke. Four different Blue Devils scored in double figures. Quinn Cook led the way with 17 points, Jahlil Okafor scored 14 points with 8 rebounds and Matt Jones contributed 11 points off the bench.

Feb 4, 2015; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Justise Winslow (12) and center Jahlil Okafor (15) react after a Duke score against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports

Inside the Box Score:

Although Duke had four different players in double figures, they didn’t shoot the ball particularly well. The Blue Devils shot only 45.6 percent from the field, 27.8 percent from three and 62.5 percent from the free throw line.

Despite the off-shooting night, Duke still scored 72 points. The key for Duke was their defense recording 9 steals, while they themselves only turned the ball over 10 times.

What’s Next for Duke:

The Duke Blue Devils are now 19-3 overall and 6-3 in ACC play.

The Blue Devils next game is a rematch of a game that happened just over a week ago. Duke welcomes No. 10 Notre Dame to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday at 1 p.m.