RALEIGH - When Mike Chappell woke up Tuesday morning, nobody realized it was his birthday. By the time Tuesday turned into Wednesday, people were lining up to congratulate him.
Nineteen is not a momentous birthday-you can already go to R-rated movies and buy cigarettes, but you are still two years away from being of legal age to drink. But for Chappell, it was a birthday that will be quite memorable.
After sitting on the bench for the entire first half and half of the second, Chappell entered the game with his roommates, freshmen Nate James and Chris Carrawell. Duke's once-large 10-point lead had been cut to two, and the Blue Devils found themselves in need of a spark.
Enter the birthday boy.
Chappell spotted up in the left corner and knocked down a three-pointer to give Duke a five-point lead with 10:35 left, and then, two possessions later, he drove the lane and converted a three-point play the old-fashioned way. Three minutes of playing time, six points, ballgame in hand-it's that simple when it's your birthday.
"I just wanted to give my team a lift when I got in there," Chappell said.
After Chappell's second basket, the Blue Devils led by six points with 8:56 remaining. N.C. State would get no closer.
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski had told Chappell and fellow freshmen Nate James and Chris Carrawell earlier in the week that their minutes might be significantly reduced in the coming weeks. Krzyzewski advised them to make the most of their time. Chappell, in his old age, certainly did.
"Mike Chappell's play at the end of the game really stepped us forward," Duke center Greg Newton said. "From that point on, we really made our shots, played good defense and hit our foul shots."
Chappell had scored only two points in his previous five Atlantic Coast Conference contests, while playing 33 minutes. Tuesday, he tripled that output in only three.
Chappell had planned on just calling his parents in Southfield, Mich., when he returned home to his dorm room, and celebrating quietly with them. His play on the court may have changed his plans.
"I just wanted to help the team in anyway possible when I got in there," Chappell said. "Sitting on the bench, you just want to get into the game."
He did, and it will certainly not be a birthday he forgets anytime soon.
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