Beyond the Arc: Duke basketball vs. San Diego State

The Blue Devils got off to a hot start Sunday afternoon at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, N.C., jumping out to a 15-4 lead they would never relinquish on their way to a 68-49 win against San Diego State and a ticket to the Sweet 16. Duke’s Jahlil Okafor dominated the paint and Justise Winslow wreaked havoc on the defensive end, creating four turnovers and cashing in for 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Revisiting the three keys to the game:

• Get out on the break: Duke capitalized off of seven steals, including three during a 2:30 stretch in the second half—just as the game was getting close—to run away with the contest. Winslow led all players with 11 defensive rebounds, set the pace by creating many transition opportunities and allowed Quinn Cook to spot up for open 3-pointers. Just as Winslow pushed the tempo, Cook, Tyus Jones and even Okafor got open on fast breaks and provided the swingman with options as he looked down the court.
• Give the poor-shooting Aztecs different defensive looks: Duke did not need to shake things up too radically on defense. It played man-to-man defense that resulted in 11 turnovers and ultimately 18 Blue Devil fast-break points. Although San Diego St. got many offensive rebounds, it could not avoid 1-on-1 play by drawing in Duke’s defense on the kind of dribble penetration that has been Blue Devil kryptonite. Consequently, the Aztecs posted just five assists the whole game. Duke also benefited from getting an early lead to force the typically methodical San Diego State offense to get outside of its comfort zone.
• Avoid trouble on the double: The fourth-ranked defense in the country had no answer for the ACC Player of the Year. On the one hand, Okafor pulverized the San Diego St. frontcourt by powering to the hoop and totaling 26 points on 12-of-16 shooting. The Aztecs elected not to foul the Chicago native and try to rely on quick double teams, but Okafor made them pay by playing with pace and getting ahead of the defense. On the occasions when San Diego State's strategy to double forced him to give it up, he frequently made the right read, leading to open looks for his teammates.

Three key plays

• 7:53 remaining, first half. With Duke up 22-11, Winslow stuffs a jump shot, feeds a pass to Cook, who then finds a cutting Tyus Jones, who dishes a backward pass to an incoming Okafor. The big man slams it with one hand and lets out a roar, highlighting a dominating first-half performance by the Blue Devils.
• 3:06 remaining, first half. Aztec forward JJ O'Brien has a clear path on a fast break when Winslow sneaks up from behind and emphatically swats the rock away. Jones then scoops up the ball and delivers a half-court chest-pass to Cook, who buries the corner trey. In just seven seconds, Duke denies two points and nets three of its own.
• 11:58 remaining, second half. The Aztecs cut the deficit to seven—as low as it had been since San Diego St. had two points on the board—and the pressure is mounting on Duke. Then, Cook drills a 3-pointer, two timeouts are called in a span of 25 seconds, and Duke finishes a 20-2 run to clinch the win.

Three key stats

• Duke commits its first turnover with 3:16 left in the opening half
• Duke goes 6-for-14 from long range, San Diego State goes just 2-for-13
• Duke takes just two foul shots and still scores 68 points against the second-ranked scoring defense in the nation

The 6-foot-8 forward from Houston got going with two layups late in the first half to start his team's comeback effort and finished with 13 points and five rebounds—the only Aztec player to score in double figures. The game was a forgettable one for San Diego State, but expect Shepard and the rest of the team's returners to use the loss for motivation in the offseason.