Cracking a 2-3 zone defense often involves what most teams refer to as a "zone-buster"—a big wing or power forward that can take advantage of the space defenses offer them at the foul line for easy jumpers or drives to the rim.
No. 4 Duke found its zone-buster Saturday night in forward Justise Winslow, but the freshman found his own way to poke holes in Syracuse's vaunted 2-3 zone. Winslow scored a career-high 23 points and added nine rebounds as the Blue Devils downed the Orange 73-54 at Cameron Indoor Stadium for the team's ninth straight victory.
Winslow drove hard to the rim on fast breaks, crashed the offensive glass and knocked down 3-of-5 attempts from beyond the arc, giving the Syracuse defense fits in the process.
"[Winslow] did an amazing job of attacking—he was hungry," junior forward Amile Jefferson said. "When he's going, it's hard to stop him. He gets into the lane as well as anyone in the country."
In the game's opening minutes, it appeared Winslow's positioning on defense could be problematic for the Blue Devils (26-3, 13-3 in the ACC). For the third straight game, Duke utilized a small starting lineup with Winslow playing power forward. Forward Tyler Roberson took advantage early for Syracuse (18-11, 9-7), with the 6-foot-8 sophomore using his size advantage to score seven of his team's first nine points en route to a 9-6 lead.
The Blue Devils adjusted, looking for Winslow less often in the high post and giving him opportunities to create on the perimeter. The Houston native singlehandedly led Duke on a 7-0 run midway through the first half, starting with a three from the left corner and ending with a lay-in on a lob from senior point guard Quinn Cook. Cameron Indoor Stadium came alive as Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim was forced to take a timeout with his team trailing 24-16.
"I was in the middle a lot, but I wanted to keep moving so they had to keep their eyes on me," Winslow said. "I was just going from the high post to the corner and trying to make plays."
Another Winslow triple from the left wing capped off a 6-0 run that gave the Blue Devils a 44-31 lead with 15:08 remaining in the game. On his way back up the court, he earned a low-five from energized head coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Although such reactions from Krzyzewski during a game are typically few and far between, Winslow said the high-five did not catch him off guard.
"I just didn't want to leave him hanging, so I had to show him love," he said with a chuckle.
Krzyzewski called Duke's defensive effort one of its most complete of the season. The Blue Devils held Syracuse to 30.6 shooting on the evening and forced 15 turnovers. By altering man-to-man and zone defenses and applying occasional full-court pressure, Duke prevented the Orange from feeling comfortable with the basketball in their hands.
"I just think we're getting better day by day on the defensive end," Cook said. "We took a lot of [criticism] from Coach about our defense against Virginia Tech, and I think we responded against one of the better offensive teams in the country today."
Coming off a career-high 30-point performance against Virginia Tech, freshman center Jahlil Okafor picked up his 11th double-double of the year with 13 points and 14 rebounds.
Syracuse was immensely physical when dealing with Okafor in the post but paid the ultimate price. The team's leading scorer, senior center Rakeem Christmas, picked up his fourth foul midway through the second half and fouled out with 9:32 remaining in the game.
Okafor did not make Syracuse pay on his trips to the free-throw line, converting on just one of his seven attempts.
As the Blue Devils push toward the postseason, injuries will be a point of concern for the team. Cook rolled his ankle in the second half, making him the third Duke player—along with Okafor and freshman guard Grayson Allen—to battle an ankle injury in the past two weeks. With just eight scholarship players on its roster and a postseason schedule that leaves little time for recovery, health will be paramount to the Blue Devils' success.
Duke will have four days to rest before hosting Wake Forest Wednesday at 8 p.m. on Senior Night at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
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