Duke 84, Maryland 64 (FINAL): For most of the second half, the Blue Devils really just had the game in their pocket.
And as much as Rasheed Sulaimon was the hero of the first half, Mason Plumlee gave Duke its late rallying cry. He put home an emphatic, reverse put-back slam off a missed layup. He energetically got up from the layup and appeared to hit Maryland's Jake Layman... the refs then called a tech. The Cameron Crazies only responded by chanting his name. He finished with 19 points, 13 of which game in the second half.
Duke 75, Maryland 56 (5:41, second half): The Blue Devils really look like they're on cruise control here, taking smart shots and playing savvy defense. Curry, who has been hot and cold lately, loks to be working things out and just nailed a pretty trey. Mason Plumlee is also finding his offensive groove against an impressive Terp frontcourt and now has 15 points.
He has also had a rough time on the boards all game but just ripped a ball away from two Terrapins. That resulted in a fast-break and-1 opportunity for 'Sheed, making the crowd go wild. He has 25 now.
Duke 68, Maryland 55 (7:53, second half): Quinn Cook has been such an emotional leader for Duke all season and this afternoon is no different. In this important home game coming off that brutal loss to Miami, Cook has been passing the ball superbly, playing aggressive defense and pumping up the crowd with every chance.
The same goes for Amile Jefferson, who has 11 points after executing on a pick and roll with Cook. Amile then made a nice drive, attracting the attention of the defense, only to dish it to Mason who threw home probably the most emphatic slam of the game.
Cook now has nine dimes and nine points as the only Duke starter not in double-digits.
Duke 61, Maryland 49 (12:45, second half): Duke has clear control of this game but the Terps aren't going away. They pulled back within eight, only to have the Blue Devils reopen the lead with a 'Sheed layup and Hairston score, though Hairston couldn't hit the FT for the three-point play.
The Terps closed it back within nine again, but 'Sheed struck again. He has 23 points. All of Duke's starters look like they'll end up with double-digit points, though Hairston's score was Duke's first off the bench today.
Duke 54, Maryland 42 (16:15, second half): And the Blue Devils have opened up a 12-point lead. The half began well for Duke with Seth Curry scoring and Mason Plumlee putting home a surprisingly soft jump hook.
Mason is also beginning to become more aggressive on the offensive end. He missed a shot but muscled past Alex Len and Charles Mitchell for the offensive board then made the bucket past their double team of him. Quinn has demonstrated a similar aggression, getting to the hole and hitting a layup. He also found Mason once, set up by one of his drives.
A Seth Curry 3-pointer capped Duke's run, forcing Terp HC Mark Turgeon to call a timeout. He spent most of it yelling at the refs and pointing at the clock, though it's unclear why.
Duke 43, Maryland 35 (halftime): Thing settled down a bit at the end of the half but this has been the 'Sheed show. We wrote in our three keys to the game that 'Sheed has to step up as Duke's one true "breakdown" player. Well, is 18 points breaking down a defense?
A lot of credit for the strong offensive play today deserves to go to Quinn Cook and Mason Plumlee. Cook has pushed the ball and taken smart shots and he's responsible for the fast pace of play. He has five points and six assits. Mason has struggled on the boards but has been smart with the ball. He's 2-of-3 from the field with three assists.
A beneficiary of the good passing has been Amile Jefferson, who finished the half with nine points and six rebounds. He got to the line for nine foul shots, although he just made five of them. Still, that's the right idea and getting to the charity stripe is only a good thing.
Here are some notable halftime stats:
- Led by 'Sheed's 5-of-5 performance, Duke is 7-of-10 from 3-point range.
- Duke has assists in 12 of its 15 field goals. Cook has six assists, Mason Plumlee has three. He has been great passing out of the post.
- Maryland has 26 rebounds, Duke has 17. Twelve of Maryland's rebounds are on the offensive end, where Duke has just five.
- Dez Wells leads the Terps in scoring with nine. He also has seven boards.
- Only four turnovers for the Blue Devils, that's a stat Coach K has to be happy about.
Duke 37, Maryland 30 (2:59 first half): Remember the time we were talking about Rasheed Sulaimon's slump, in which he went five games with slightly more than 6 PPG? Well, he has 18 already. He's 6-of-7 from the field and 5-of-5 from deep.
Duke, impressively, has 11 assists on 13 field goals but the Terrapins are close because of the rebound differential. Those have allowed them to keep possessions alive. Charles Mitchell has three rebounds, all on the offensive end. It doesn't help that Mason just picked up his second foul and will probably by shy from getting more physical.
Mason Plumlee has just four points but has been integral to the passing, now with three assists.
Duke 29, Maryland 20 (7:17 first half): Duke's passing has looked tremendous. First Mason posted up and found 'Sheed in the corner for another open trey (yes, he hit it). On the next possession, Cook took Pe'Shon Howard off the dribble and found Amile for an easy layup. Mason later found Cook for an open 3-pointer, though Cook missed that one.
Duke really has to improve its offensive rebounding, though. They've switched up who is guarding who down low—Mason has been guarding both Len and Cleare, but the Terps have dominated the boards regardless of the matchups. They have seven offensive rebounds, Duke has just two.
Duke 24, Maryland 18 (11:01 first half): Boy, does 'Sheed know how to fire up the Cameron Crazies. Not only did he have that huge dunk in in the first few minutes, but he most recently converted a four-point play, knocking down a trey from the corner, drawing the foul and hitting the free throw. Oh and he didn't stop there. He drew a charge on the next possession and then knocked down another trey. And then he hit another. He leads all scorers with 12 points.
As the Cameron Crazies chanted, "Holy 'Sheed."
Duke 12, Maryland 9 (14:49 first half): Think Duke needed a burst of life after that Miami game? 'Sheed gave it to the crowd with a fastbreak slam to put the Blue Devils up 10-4. That got the Crazies going, well, crazy. It only got wilder when Cook found Mason Plumlee for an alley-oop slam for Duke's next two points. Cook has done an excellent job at pushing the Blue Devil offense.
The story from the moment the game tipped off was the Alex Len-Mason Plumlee matchup. Mason didn't even go up for the tip and then after the Terps got the ball he was shoving Len around on the other end.
Len got to the line on the first possession but Mason fronted him on the next possession and knocked the ball away for a steal.
Jefferson's hustle was rewarded on offense, twice getting to the line and beating the Maryland defense. He hit 3-of-4 FTs and headed to the bench—Coach K is clearly trying to keep the Blue Devils fresh against this big frontcourt.
The key for Duke moving forward will be limiting offensive rebounds. Maryland's first four points came off the offensive glass.
Pregame: Welcome folks to your live updates for Duke basketball vs. Maryland today at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Make sure to follow along here all afternoon for analysis and follow @dukebasketball on Twitter for the most up-to-date game news.
Before the action, make sure to read your three keys to the game and our quick preview.
Duke starters: Mason Plumlee, Amile Jefferson, Rasheed Sulaimon, Seth Curry and Quinn Cook
Maryland starters: C Alex Len, C Shaquille Cleare, G/F Jake Layman, G Dez Wells, G Nick Faust.
This is Turgeon's ninth different starting lineup of the season, per the Washington Posts's Alex Prewitt. Cleare, who stands at 6-foot-9 and 265 pounds, could pose size issues for Duke. Layman is also sizy at 6-foot-8 on the wing. Perhaps we will see lineups with Jefferson at the three today or more time for Alex Murphy.
Here are some pregame notes:
- Duke is currently a 12-point favorite to win with the over/under set at 138.5.
- According to basketball statistician Ken Pomeroy, Duke has a 91% chance at winning this afternoon.
- Among the funny notes on the Cameron Crazie crib sheet to taunt the Maryland players: Alex Len grew up as a gymnast and majors in family sciences "whatever that is," the notes add.
- Another update from the pregame: Mason Plumlee has a wrap on his left thumb—he apparently got hit and grabbed it at the end of the Miami game.
- Ryan Kelly, still with a boot on his right foot, is looking dapper: Khakis with a white button-down shirt under a quarter-zip blue sweater with a silver and blue tie that delicately accents the sweater. Smooth White Raven, smooth.
- The Blue Devils' headband today reads, "Adios Tortugas!" Tortugas means turtles in Spanish.
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