Beyond the arc: Duke basketball vs. Florida State

• Make them Feel You: Duke took advantage of the most turnover prone team in the ACC, forcing a total of 17 turnovers in the game. Many of these turnovers came off of double teams on pick and rolls, where the Blue Devils’ forwards did a great job of jumping screens. On the boards, Duke out-rebounded the Seminoles 47 to 24, led by Jabari Parker’s 13 rebounds. The Blue Devils’ toughness showed on the free throw column as well, where the team shot 43 free throws compared to a mere 18 by Florida State.
• Emulate Virginia: The Blue Devils accomplished what only Virginia had been able to do against the Seminoles: beat them in conference play. Like Virginia, Duke’s win came from a very balanced scoring attack. Duke had four players finish in double figures, two of them coming off the bench. The Blue Devils also formed a double-digit lead heading into the half, ready for a powerful Seminoles response.
• Slam the Door Shut: Duke’s second half lead was never truly in jeopardy, as their 10-man rotation kept their foot on the gas. On the sideline, head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s enthusiasm and energy never faltered, and his players clearly took note of it. Duke’s defense stayed strong throughout the second half, only surrendering 31 points.

Three key plays:

• 6:22 remaining, first half: Jabari Parker takes a hard drive left into the lane, receives the foul, and gets a nice bounce for the bucket. The basket excited Parker and the crowd for the rest of the half.
• 1:55 remaining, first half: After getting possession of a bouncing ball, Parker split defenders to drive in the lane for an emphatic right-handed dunk to put the Devils up 39-21.
• 3:25 remaining, second half: After running out the clock, Quinn Cook drove through the lane and made an acrobat layup finish off the glass to effectively put the game away.

Three key stats:

• Florida State commits 17 turnovers: Duke’s defense came out strong in the first half, forcing 12 turnovers in just the first 20 minutes. The Cameron Crazies brought the noise and intensity from the start, and the players never let it go. The Seminoles were never able to find a flow on offense, and settled for many contested jump shots.
• Duke shoots 43 free throws: Duke made a conscious effort to use Florida State’s aggression on defense against it, and sought out contact whenever it could. The Blue Devils, especially sophomore guard Rasheed Sulaimon, took advantage of their free throw opportunities. Sulaimon shot 8-8 from the free throw line, while the team shot 79.1 percent from the stripe. As a whole, the easy points frustrated the Seminoles players, and prevented the defensive-minded ball club from doing what they do best.
• An Even Distribution of Minutes: Once again, Duke’s depth was evident early and often, as 10 players recorded at least four minutes in the first half alone. Due to Hood’s illness, Andre Dawkins got the start, and showed his skill set early. Dawkins hit two quick triples that got the Blue Devils out in front. Marshall Plumlee exhibited his athleticism, running the floor for a contested fast break layup to close the first half. Due to Duke’s substitutions, the team never faltered on the defensive end.