Duke lost its last game in Miami, but the Blue Devils got revenge and a lot more against the Hurricanes on Wednesday night in an 84-55 victory.
Head coach Jon Scheyer’s team sent a statement to the ACC and the nation with one of their best offensive displays of the season, shooting 51.9% from the floor and 44.8% from deep against a shorthanded Miami team.
The first half went as perfectly as it could possibly go for the Blue Devils. Despite the Hurricanes not having junior guards Nijel Pack and Matthew Cleveland, Duke clung to a two-point lead with 10:15 to play in the first.
The Blue Devils closed the half on a 24-9 run to absolutely leave the Hurricanes in the dust.
Duke’s entire starting lineup found moments to shine in the first 20 minutes. Miami kept a close eye on the perimeter to start the game, but the approach meant the Hurricanes kept losing track of sophomore Mark Mitchell, who scored seven of Duke’s first 10 points.
Kyle Filipowski made a pull-up 3-pointer and unleashed a devastating spin move in the paint in quick succession, and freshman guard Caleb Foster followed with two 3-pointers within three possessions.
Reigning ACC Rookie of the Week Jared McCain threw down a vicious dunk through a little contact to get in on the fun, the last basket of a 13-0 run for the Blue Devils.
He did so quietly, but no one excelled across the opening 20 minutes more than senior Jeremy Roach, who made three of his four first-half 3-point attempts to lead the game with 11 points at the break.
The late surge meant the Blue Devils led 40-23 at the break as Miami’s starters combined to shoot 8/27 from the floor and 3/12 from beyond the arc. Star forward Norchad Omier, a potential All-ACC candidate averaging nearly 18 points and 10 rebounds per game, pulled down eight first-half rebounds but could only manage six points on eight shots.
Omier’s frustration seemed to continue into the second half. Filipowski, Mitchell, and other Blue Devils did a good job making him work for his looks, but the Miami big man also missed some routine baskets on the evening. He had a few open looks and contested layups that just bounced off the rim in an odd fashion, his confusion slowly morphing into exasperation as the second half wore on. He finished the game with nine points and 10 rebounds.
Duke’s offensive heater kept warm over the halftime break, with four of the Blue Devils’ five starters making a 3-pointer in the first five minutes of the second half. The last of the four, made by Foster, extended Duke’s lead to 23 points with 15 minutes to play, a deficit that proved insurmountable for the Hurricanes.
The Blue Devils coasted their way to the clubhouse from there with little drama, leading by 20 or more points for almost the entire rest of the way.
Roach ended the game with a team-leading 16 points, and Mitchell and Filipowski both finished with 15 points. McCain had a quieter night, finishing with seven points and five rebounds on 3/9 shooting, but Foster added 11 points and Proctor contributed 12 off the bench.
Duke also out-rebounded the Hurricanes 42-31 over the course of the game.
The Blue Devils, now tied with North Carolina for first in the ACC with a 12-3 conference record, play Wake Forest for the second time in two weeks on Saturday.