Returning to the court after a long holiday break, No. 15 Duke showed no signs of rust and got off to a blistering start en route to a 105-66 win against Elon (9-4). The Blue Devils set the pace with a historic first half on the offensive side of the ball and got another solid performance from freshman Brandon Ingram. Duke (10-2) will face Long Beach State in its non-conference finale Wednesday.
Revisiting the three keys to the game
- Find a rhythm on offense: Duke needed no help finding its offense Monday, scoring 70 points in the first half. Playing with a frantic pace on offense and tenacity on defense, the Blue Devils shot 58 percent from the field for the first 20 minutes of the game—a torrid start that was all Duke needed to put the game away. The Blue Devil defense fueled the offense for much of the half as the team forced nine turnovers and scored easy buckets in transition.
- Win the rebounding battle: The Blue Devils dominated the offensive glass with 53 rebounds to Elon’s 30, with Ingram and center Marshall Plumlee pulling down 11 rebounds apiece. Although Duke is still attempting to find a replacement for Amile Jefferson’s team-leading average of 10.3 rebounds per game, the team as a whole has stepped up to match his production. Freshman Chase Jeter has started to grow into his role in the rotation as well, contributing another five rebounds as his minutes increase in Jefferson’s absence.
- Defend the 3-point line: Outside of Tanner Samson’s strong performance, Duke forced Elon into woeful 11-of-31 shooting from the 3-point line. Since the Phoenix depended largely on Samson’s sensational shooting, the Blue Devils neutralized the impact of the triple by defending the rest of Elon’s guards. Conversely, Duke fared reasonably well from distance itself with strong showings from freshman Luke Kennard and Ingram, who combined for seven triples in the win.
Three key stats
- Duke collects 18 offensive rebounds: The Blue Devils have struggled to find an interior presence since losing their senior captain, making improvement at the four and five positions crucial before the beginning of ACC play. Although Duke has not been able to crash the boards with just big men, the team has relied on guards to come speeding in from the perimeter and box out bigger opponents. Ingram and Plumlee's strong performances on the glass were encouraging as the team continues to find its way without Jefferson.
- Allen returns to form with 7-of-15 shooting from the floor: After a quiet game against Utah due to illness, Duke’s star guard showed no signs of sickness Monday. Allen’s full arsenal was on display, from lunging steals to tough assists and trademark dunks. Although Allen’s efficiency did not quite match his usual pace from early in the season, the guard's play means everything to the Blue Devils’ chances of winning from game to game.
- Six Blue Devils finish in double-figures: Plumlee, Ingram, Allen, Kennard, senior Matt Jones and freshman Derryck Thornton all finished with at least 10 points as Duke managed to dictate the tempo and find multiple options on the perimeter. With only seven players earning significant minutes in the rotation, it was encouraging to see the Blue Devils spread the wealth on offense and assist on 44 percent of their made field goals.
Three key plays
- 13:48 remaining, first half: With Elon still within striking distance, Allen turned guard Luke Eddy’s turnover into a transition sprint to the basket that turned into one of the explosive feats of elevation that the Crazies expect from the sophomore. Allen's dunk pushed the Duke lead to eight points and the rout was quickly on.
- 10:08 remaining, first half: Kennard came off the bench to generate some transition points of his own, turning a steal out of Eddy’s hands again into a scramble to the basket. Unlike Allen, Kennard did not power through to the rim but elected instead to stop on a dime behind the three-point line after a pass from Jones and nail a triple to give Duke a 20-point lead.
- 13:37 remaining, second half: With two Blue Devil guards already having displayed their ability to score in transition, Thornton decided to join as well. The guard turned a steal into more points on offense by using his passing prowess to feed a cutting Ingram who made a quick layup to put Duke up by 39.
And the Duke game ball goes to… Brandon Ingram
Once again, the swingman from Kinston, N.C. put on a clinic using his length and explosiveness as he flashed multiple aspects of his offensive toolkit. Between his 3-of-6 shooting from deep, three steals that turned into high-flying slams, and an 11-of-16 performance from the field overall, Ingram shredded a hapless Elon defense that had no individual athletic enough to stop him en route to tying his career-high with 26 points. As the season progresses, it is becoming more and more clear that Ingram is one of the most gifted offensive players in the nation.
And the Elon game ball goes to… Tanner Samson
Elon’s lone bright spot shone again with a team-high 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting from downtown. Given how much the Phoenix have relied on Samson’s long-ball heroics this season, the senior guard delivered again to keep Elon in the game early before turnovers and steals by the Blue Devils finished his squad for good. Although the Phoenix hoped to keep the game closer than the score indicated, Samson's hot start is one of the reason's why the team finished non-conference play with a solid 9-4 mark.
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