Duke basketball avoids two major disasters in victory over Campbell

The Duke basketball team avoided two major disasters in its victory over Campbell. 

It is extremely difficult to play two games in as many days this early in the season, and the Duke basketball team found that out the hard way on Saturday night.

As the Blue Devils took the floor for the final time in the Duke Veteran’s Day Showcase, Mike Krzyzewski pinned his team up against an experienced, veteran Campbell squad, and the Camels took it to Duke in the opening minutes.

Campbell led by as many as ten points in the first half as the young Blue Devils looked stunned when their captain, Wendell Moore, left with what looked to be a knee injury 15 seconds into the game.

Moore was helped to the locker room, but Duke got the best news possible as the junior returned to the game and was able to follow up his first-ever triple-double with 15 points, five rebounds, five assists, and three steals.

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However, even with Moore back in the rotation, Campbell never took its foot off the gas as the Blue Devils were pushed to the edge inside Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Duke rallied to take a four-point lead into halftime and would hold off the Camels in the second half to win an ugly game, 67-56.

The victory was the 1,100th win in the Duke head coaching career of Coach K.

Duke basketball freshman puts together another monster performance

Paolo Banchero has been a monster in his previous two games for the Blue Devils, and the Seattle, Washington native led the team with 18 points and seven rebounds on Saturday night.

Banchero has now posted games of 22, 18, and 18 points in his first three college games.

Sophomore guard Jeremy Roach has settled into his role on the team as he had yet another efficient shooting night with 14 points, going 6-of-10 from the floor.

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Senior captain Joey Baker also had his best game of the young season with 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting, all from 3-point range, in 32 minutes.

Mark Williams and Theo John continued their struggles in the paint for Duke.

It could have been an awful night for the Blue Devils with the injury to Wendell Moore and needing to get off the ropes against Campbell, but everything turned out for the best on this night.

Duke will get the rest of the weekend off and be back on Coach K Court on Tuesday, November 16 against Gardner-Webb at 7:00pm EST (ACC Network Extra).