Kyle Singler nets 20 as Blue Devils roll past Arkansas-PB to advance in the Big Dance
In Pictures — Game Gallery
Turning Point
Duke never trailed in the game, rolling to a 22-7 lead midway through the first half.
Blue Devil Ballers
Kyle recorded a double-double with 22 points (7-12 FG, 3-5 3pt) and 10 boards. Jon Scheyer added 13 points (4-7 FG, 3-5 3pt) and Lance Thomas scored 12.
Duke Data
44 — Points allowed by Duke, third-fewest by a Blue Devil team in NCAA Tourney history
41 — Rebounds in the game by Duke, compared to 24 for UAPB
72 — NCAA-record wins by Coach K all-time in the Big Dance
29 — Second-round NCAA Tourney appearances by Duke in the program’s 34 trips to the Dance
30 — Wins on the season by Duke, marking the NCAA-record 11th time under Coach K that the Blue Devils have hit the 30-win mark
Coach K’s Comments
“Well, I thought it was more of a workmanlike performance by our team. George’s team is going to play hard for 40 minutes, and they played, for us, a little bit unconventional because they’re spreading you, they have different zones and stuff like that, trapping. Overall I thought our guys handled it well, and our defense was excellent. You know, we’re more talented than they are, but I thought we played as hard and we played very well. So, I am happy with my team and happy to be moving on.”
Locker Room Reaction
The Blue Devils wanted to come out attacking with energy and excitement. The team pressed early and pressured UABP defensively all game. Said Kyle, “We just want to be aggressive throughout the whole game. One of the keys to the game for us was just attack, attack their defense. I thought we got to the line, and shot the ball from the free throw pretty well.” Added Jon, “I thought that was the key in the first half to set a tone. We really just wanted to keep them in front because they spread you a lot, and we wanted to play great team defense. We didn’t want to leave someone out there just playing one-on-one against them because that’s how they can be successful. So for us, I thought we did a good job of helping each other out and then getting the rebound.”
Sixth Man
The crowd featured a solid amount of Duke Blue, not only on tee-shirts but also on at least a couple of heads (as seen here and here). Also, Duke/March legend Christian Laettner, a Florida resident these days, made the trip over to Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena to support his Blue Devils.
Around the Web
Box score — Stat recap
AP recap — Duke routs UAPB
Quotes — Postgame thoughts from Coach K, Jon, Kyle (PDF)
Duke gets easy win — Duke rolls to second round
Ready for second round — Blue Devils quickly shift focus to date with Cal
Duke cruises — A rout in Jacksonville
Notes
*Next up: Duke faces 8th-seeded Cal on Sunday at 5:20 PM (CBS). The Golden Bears defeated Louisville after Duke knocked off UAPB.
Fave Photo
Tags: "ncaa tournament" "uapb"
