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As expected, No. 4 Duke basketball came away with a blowout 72-46 win at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Tuesday night against the Incarnate Word Cardinals. Although the final score strongly suggests a one-sided affair, it was not the case in the entire contest. The Cardinals stubbornly kept up with Cooper Flagg and the Blue Devils in the early goings and were even ahead by just seven points at the end of the first half.
In the first 20 minutes of the showdown, the Blue Devils shot just 10-for-30 from the field and hit just two of their 13 attempts from behind the arc. Duke basketball also turned the ball over seven times during that stretch. If not for Incarnate Word also having a brutal offense in the first half — shot just 27 FG% — the halftime score would have been more unfavorable for the Blue Devils.
Fortunately for the Blue Devils, they were able to turn things around in the second half, where they outscored the Cardinals, 44-25.
Despite the slow start, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer applauded the resiliency of the Blue Devils.
“I thought our guys did a good job of playing through not hitting shots & not necessarily having our best stuff tonight, but that’s going to happen sometimes,” Scheyer said after the game, per David Shumate. “I thought our guys refocused in the 2nd half & broke it open.”
Duke basketball overcomes slow start to demolish Incarnate Word
Freshman center Khaman Maluach led the Blue Devils with 17 points, including 12 in the first half, while the always-dependable Isaiah Evans came off the bench and fired 14 points. As for star freshman Cooper Flagg, it was not much of a night for him, as he only had six points on 2-for-8 shooting from the floor, though, he had eight rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block in 22 minutes. Also giving Duke a big lift was its defense. The Blue Devils held the Cardinals to just 32.1 field goal percentage.
Duke's defense has proven itself to be a terrific asset of the team, as the Blue Devils are tops in the nation with an adjusted defensive rating of 88.7 and eighth overall with a defensive effective field goal percentage of 42.4, per KenPom.
The Blue Devils, who now sport an 8-2 overall record, will take a long rest before getting back to action on Dec. 17 versus the George Mason Patriots in Durham, North Carolina.
