It took Duke over two minutes to score its first points Thursday night against Oral Roberts in their NCAA Tournament opener.
No problem. It took Oral Roberts eight minutes to score their first points.
By that point they were already behind 15-0.
Now, after having already watched Virginia and Arizona cough up 12-point leads against mid-majors with a lot less than 32 minutes left, I suppose there was still time for a comeback.
But not on this night, not against this team.
The final was 74-51.
We’ve heard so much this week about 5/12 upsets, about ORU’s high-powered offense, their 17-game winning streak, their huge center Connor Vanover, their high-scoring guard Max Abmas, that Sweet- Sixteen run two years ago, Duke’s youth, ORU’s experience, why it’s almost surprising Duke even bothered to show up.
You got the feeling it was going to be a good night for Duke about 20 seconds into the game. Oral Roberts’ Carlos Jurgens missed a 3 but scrambled for the offensive rebound and took it inside.
He met Derick Lively II who stuffed the shot and grabbed the rebound.
You’re not in the Summit League anymore.
“That’s a play he normally makes against the opponent,” ORU coach Paul Mills acknowledged.
Duke’s defense simply smothered Oral Roberts, while Lively and Kyle Filipowski controlled the glass. Jeremy Roach was the best guard on the floor and Dariq Whitehead had the TV guys wondering how anyone that talented could possibly be coming off the bench.
“I thought our defense really set the tone for us today, the job we did,” Jon Scheyer said. “We were able to switch a lot. We have a very versatile defensive group.”
It was 40-23 at the half. Duke hit 50% from the field in the opening 20 minutes, Oral Roberts 26%. Duke outrebounded Oral Roberts 25-15, forced seven turnovers and got almost as many points off its bench (17) as the entire Oral Roberts team.
Duke extended the lead to 50-23. Oral Roberts got as close as 54-40 without ever really rattling Duke.
Tyrese Proctor hit a 3, Roach scored on a couple of jumpers and the lead was back to 20 at 63-43 and that was that.
Duke effectively neutralized Oral Roberts’ two greatest threats. Abmas scored 12 points, about half his average. He made only 4 of 15 from the field and turned it over five times. And he didn’t get any help on the offensive end. ORU’s next leading scorer--Isaac McBride--had eight points.
On the other end Duke relentlessly attacked Vanover. Roach was especially effective, switching hands, leaning into Vanover’s tall but slender frame and using the rim to protect layups. Despite hitting only one 3-pointer, Roach ended with 23 points, equaling his career high established last week against Virginia.
“I mean, like kind of late in the second half I felt like I was kind of settling a little bit,” Roach said, “kind of wanted to play inside out, go to our strength. I felt like I could attack him, get to my spot. Raise. I felt like I was a little bit quicker than him and could get my shot up. He's a great player, great rim protector. They play that drop. He's a big 7'5" guy in the paint, so I just wanted to get to my spot where I knew I could make something happen.”
Vanover had one block, six points and six rebounds. Lively ended with 12 rebounds and six blocks, Filipowski nine rebounds and four steals.
Those six blocks are the most by a Duke freshman in an NCAA Tournament game.
“This season I just accepted it as my role,” he said “being able to protect the house, backing up my teammates is just something I've accepted and just something I've tried to excel at. Being able to have them know they can trust me to have their backs at any moment is something I've just accepted throughout this point.”
Lively’s 80 blocks on the season is 10 behind Mike Gminski’s school record for freshmen, set back in 1977.
Whitehead was Duke’s only other double-figure scorer. He ended with 13 points, making all three of his 3-pointers. Mark Mitchell had eight points and seven rebounds, Proctor seven points and three assists and both played outstanding defense.
Duke ended with a 46-32 advantage on the boards and turned it over only eight times.
Duke shot 48% from the field, ORU 30%.
Tennessee is next, after they barely held off Louisiana. The Vols are a four-seed from a power-conference but they look vulnerable.
But that’s why they play the games.
Scheyer addressed the media before he knew Duke’s next opponent but he made it clear he likes where his team is.
“We'll see who we play, but I want us to be who we are, continue to keep our identity, defend, share it, rebound, and that's what's most important to me. We have to continue to be who we are.”
Duke has now won 10 straight and is 27-8 on the season.
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A programming note. I’ll be attending to some personal business this weekend. I’ll check in when I can.
So much for Kenny tarheel Smith picking ORU. Good recap, Jim.
GoDuke!
Whitehead continuing to have a hot hand shooting 3 PT FG would be great. He was 3-3 against ORU plus he made a long 2 just inside the arc. It is always a plus to have a consistent shooter to stretch the opponent’s defense.