The Blue Devils rallied late and had a chance to win the game at the final buzzer against the Terrapins but fell short by an 83-81 final. Here are some postgame notes from Duke's third loss of the season.
Hairston tears ligament in right thumb in practice Friday
After the game, Blue Devil head coach Mike Krzyzewski disclosed that junior forward Josh Hairston—who finished two points away from his career high against the Terrapins—tore a ligament in his right thumb during Friday's practice.
"He got hurt yesterday and tore a ligament in his thumb. He can play the rest of the year, but it will have to be taken care of after the season."
Duke notches 12 steals but can't steal game
Taking advantage of sloppy execution by Maryland, the Blue Devils forced 26 turnovers on the evening in a losing effort. The last time Duke forced 26 or more turnovers and lost the game was Jan. 10, 2007, when the then-No. 11 Blue Devils—who would later fall unranked and make a first-round exit in the NCAA tournament—lost to Georgia Tech 74-63 despite forcing 28 turnovers. Since that game, Duke had forced 26 or more turnovers eight times and won those games by an average of 33.9 points.
Terrapins make living from the foul line
Maryland scored nearly half of its second-half points from the charity stripe, shooting 23-of-31 after halftime and 25-for-34 on the game. The last time a Duke opponent attempted 34 or more free throws in a game was the Blue Devils' loss last season to 15th-seeded Lehigh in the NCAA tournament's second round. The last time Duke allowed its opponent to get to the line 34 or more times and won the game was Feb. 20, 2005 in a 102-92 win against Wake Forest.
Krzyzewski addresses Duke's relationship with Maryland
Following his team's loss, Krzyzewski had some choice words regarding conference realignment and the Terrapins' decision to leave the ACC for the Big Ten following next season. This could be the final ACC tilt between Duke and Maryland in College Park, and it appeared college basketball's all-time leader in career wins followed the popular mantra of many Duke students, calling the Terrapins "not our rivals."
"I have a great deal of respect for Maryland. If it was such a rivalry, they'd still be in the ACC. Obviously they don't think it's that important, or they wouldn't be in the Big Ten. I respect their basketball program and the job their coaches have done and their players have done over the years. We've had some great games with them, but we have great games against a lot of people. A lot of people want to beat us, and they're one of them."
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