The fourth-ranked Duke Blue Devils were coming off two straight double-digit losses and were facing the sixth-ranked Louisville Cardinals in Kentucky. Duke responded by getting a decisive win on the road that should quiet down the concerns the consecutive defeats elicited. The Blue Devils completely dominated the game from start to finish, with Jahlil Okafor scoring 18 points and pulling down seven rebounds and Amile Jefferson logging 19 and seven. Montrezl Harrell had 10 points and 14 rebounds for the Cardinals in the losing effort.
Duke vs. Louisville final score: 3 things we learned from the Blue Devils’ bounce back win
After two losses, Duke bounced back in a big way with a quality win against the Louisville Cardinals, 63-52.
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Here are three things we learned from the game:
1. Duke’s zone gave Louisville fits
The Cardinals are not a good outside shooting team and the Blue Devils knew it. Coach K went to a 2-3 zone for long stretches and it completely took Louisville out of rhythm. The three-pointers clanked out (4-for-25) and the guards had a very hard time getting the ball inside. As a result, the Cardinals’ offense sputtered, scoring only 52 points on 29.5 percent from the floor. It was surprising to see Louisville struggle so much with a zone, considering they use one themselves and should be familiar with how to attack it but the Blue Devils deserve a lot of credit for being disciplined on defense.
2. Louisville is finding out how difficult the ACC can be
It's the Cardinals' first year in the ACC and they are finding out the hard way that it's not going to be any easier for them than the American or the Big East conferences. This is the Cardinals' second loss to an ACC rival after the defeat they suffered at the buzzer against UNC. They could have lost to Clemson as well, if not for Chris Jones and Terry Rozier combining for 37 points. Right now they rank fourth, are 3-2 in conference play and haven't faced Virginia and its vaunted defense yet. The Cardinals are obviously one of the best teams in the ACC but they will have to labor if they hope to grab the top record.
3. Duke’s demise was greatly exaggerated
People were starting to doubt Duke’s potential. Two straight losses will do that to a team. This win on the road should quiet some of those criticisms, as the Blue Devils showed how dominant they can be. Duke led for over 27 minutes of the game and had a max lead of 21 points. Even more impressively, they gained the upper hand in the first half without a major contribution from Okafor. The Cardinals tried to make a push in the second half, but Duke held on despite increased pressure to the ball-handlers while Okafor showed why many think he will go first overall in the 2015 draft if he declares.
The schedule is tough for the next two weeks and it could tell us a lot about just how good the Blue Devils can be. But it’s clear that no one should count out Duke yet.
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