Play scared on Duke’s home court, and embarrassment is the nearly certain outcome. After starting the conference season with a pair of road losses to North Carolina and Pittsburgh, they needed a win to right the ship at get to 11-5 on the year and 1-2 in the ACC. Also, it’s an incredibly important win for Brian Gregory, who undoubtedly came into the season in a bit of a precarious position.
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Virginia Tech hasn’t started 3-0 in conference play since it last won at Duke in 2007, a feat it can accomplish by avoiding a ninth straight loss to the 14th-ranked Blue Devils on Saturday. Our Ladies current margin of victory is 18.9 points per game, as they hold opponents on average to 45.3 PPG.
But here’s the oddity: The Hokies were anything but timid. Sometimes they change, but they rarely die.
Though Georgia Tech hasn’t come close in recent matchups with the Cavaliers, this Virginia team appears considerably more vulnerable than the ones that combined to go 32-4 in the ACC the previous two seasons. And we didn’t do that (Saturday). “What we pride ourselves on the most really let us down”. But, against the defending national champions the team fares much better, posting a 2-3 record against teams coming off a title run. They can not on the road against the reigning NCAA champion and the nation’s most-efficient offense.
Virginia struggled to find its shot in the first half, though, scoring just 21 points.
No. 12 Miami 72, Florida State 59 • Sheldon McClellan scored 20 of his 21 points in the second half inMiami’s seventh straight victory. The end-game statistics, showing a 34.4% OReb%, are a result of some improvement late in the game; early in the second half, GT was rebounding over half of their own misses, leading to 15 second-chance points. The Cavaliers’ loss at Virginia Tech on Monday snapped a seven-game winning streak in that series. “Our guys have to realize that, and they have to play, not conservatively, but smart”. I felt sped up at some point, but I mean, I slowed down. “I had individual meetings with my coaches, and just listening to my teammates, I knew I had to do something about it”. Some of them responded, some of them didn’t, and it led to turnovers.
Louisville opened the period on an 8-0 run and forced Virginia Tech into three turnovers, while holding the Hokies to just four field goal attempts through the more than six minutes of play. The score was 24-7, and Williams called timeout.
Curiously enough, that’s an opinion held by Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. It’s not surprising. We just need to keep on fighting and keep on working every day and keep on attacking practice with the same mindset.
Thereafter, it was Marshall Plumlee’s show. Ja’Quan Newton had 13 points for the Hurricanes (13-1, 2-0 ACC), and Davon Reed added 12. And thrive he has in the past two games.
Duke’s Marshall Plumlee (40) shoots over Virginia Tech’s Kerry…
The Orange led 39-33 at the break despite the Tar Heels shooting 41.2 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes. Scoring inside and out, the Devils led 50-23 at halftime.
“It doesn’t matter who we’re playing, where we’re playing”, Greenwell said after Thursday’s win.
Unless freshman Chase Jeter progresses rapidly, Duke is left with a six-man rotation until Jefferson returns. Junior forward Quinton Stephens and senior guard Adam Smith each scored 16 points in the win while Nick Jacobs added 16 off the bench as part of the lineup shakeup.
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The Hokies (10-6, 2-1) are actually deeper, but to use Williams’ word, they were “overwhelmed” by the Devils’ talent. “… Maybe the players will believe me and maybe when I say it even some who don’t believe me will, but it is a fine line from being successful to being not successful”.
