Pennsylvania may have Duke beat by six in the U.S. News and World Report rankings, but the Blue Devils showed their dominance on the court Thursday night winning by a margin of more than 50 points.
No. 7 Duke (11-1) rang in the New Year early with a 114-55 trounce of the Quakers (0-9). The Blue Devils shot 60 percent from the field and combined for 43 rebounds compared to Penn’s 25.
“I told our team before the game, let's play as hard as they're going to play against us,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “I think we did. Our talent level is obviously greater than theirs. If we play as hard as they do, we should win.”
Duke did more than just win its last game before ACC play starts Sunday against No. 21 Clemson. Their commanding lead allowed the Blue Devils to give their three freshmen ample playing time, including 21 minutes for Mason Plumlee, who played his first game with an untaped wrist.
Mason Plumlee scored 18 points and pulled down seven rebounds, shattering his career high six points and three rebounds. He said this game combined with a difficult practice Wednesday helped boost his confidence for ACC play.
“Mason is terrific, his injury knocked him back a bit… so now he’s back in the full of things, and we’re excited,” said junior Nolan Smith, who led the team in scoring with 23 points. “I think it was a breakthrough. He knows his abilities, and he’s a very confident player. He knows when he gets the ball he can make things happen.”
Before the end, 12 Blue Devils took the court, and the bench contributed 40 points to Duke’s victory. All three walk-on players saw the floor, including five and six minutes for Jordan Davidson and Steve Johnson, respectively, who scored one point each.
Duke shot 48 percent from three-point range, but its defense also worked hard, creating 29 points off the Quakers’ 21 turnovers.
Despite its resounding win, the Blue Devils hope to use Thursday’s New Year’s Eve game to prepare even more for the Clemson Tigers.
“I think the habits that you take in a game like today, you need to carry them over, and that’s what you’re talking about playing 40 good minutes—that’s what we did today,” said senior Jon Scheyer, who had 19 points and 11 assists on the night. “Obviously instead of being up 50 you’re going to be up 1, and if you don’t get a loose ball or things like that it can either win you a game or lose you a game, so that’s what we were really trying to focus on today.”
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