Beyond the Arc: Duke basketball vs Georgia Tech

The Blue Devils took to the road without head coach Mike Krzyzewski and came away with a much-needed 80-71 road victory against Georgia Tech. After struggling to create separation in the first half, Duke embarked on an 18-2 run midway through the second period to put the game away: 

Revisiting Three Keys to the Game

• Get on the glass: Although the margin was thin, the Blue Devils managed to hold their own on the boards and out-rebounded Georgia Tech 39-38. Marshall Plumlee and Brandon Ingram cleaned up on the defensive glass with 14 and 10 rebounds, respectively. Duke struggled on the offensive glass though, and only managed nine second-chance opportunities. Freshman Chase Jeter still had difficulty with his duties in the frontcourt, grabbing only one rebound and collecting four fouls. Perhaps the biggest success for the Blue Devils in this category was limiting Georgia Tech's Charles Mitchell—the leading rebounder in the ACC—to just six boards. 
• Score enough points to win the game: Duke’s scoring ability was not missing, particularly in the second half. The Blue Devils exploded for 44 points after the break on 55 percent shooting from the floor. More importantly, Duke created just enough offense through Ingram and sophomore Grayson Allen—who combined for 41 points—to put the game away against a Yellow Jackets team that would not go away quietly and continued to press until the clock hit triple zeroes.
• Build momentum: After dropping out of the AP Poll for the first time in nine years and having Krzyzewski miss his first game in 20 years, the undermanned Blue Devils responded with a gritty win on the road. It was ugly and mistake-ridden effort but a much-needed victory nonetheless. As the team prepares to head into the most difficult portion of the schedule with four of the next five games against ranked opponents, Duke’s victory showed signs of life for a squad that hopes to return its head coach and senior Amile Jefferson soon.

Three Key Plays

• 6:38 remaining, first half: With the Blue Devils trailing by two and needing a rest for center Marshall Plumlee, associate head coach Jeff Capel looks to a new face and inserts freshman Antonio Vrankovic into the game. The center's time on the court was his first game action since Dec. 30. 
• 9:35 remaining, second half: Freshman Derryck Thornton stays aggressive and drives hard to the hoop for a nifty layup. The guard had one of his best performances of the season and finished with 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting. 
• 5:35 remaining, second half: Allen lines up for another triple which clanks off the mark, but Plumlee is at the basket for the easy tip-in. The basket was the end of an 18-2 run for Duke that blew a close game wide open. 

Three Key Stats

• Georgia Tech shoots just 11 percent from deep: The Yellow Jackets fared poorly from behind the arc as the Blue Devils succeeded in closing out to perimeter shooters. Georgia Tech shot just 2-for-19 from deep while Duke shot at a 48-percent clip on the other end of the floor. Grayson Allen was especially deadly from downtown where he hit seven of his 10 attempts. 
• Duke finishes with 16 assists to 10 turnovers: Duke’s relative inexperience and possible fatigue showed throughout the second half as the backcourt became loose with the ball and rushed plays in an effort to pull away. The Blue Devils committed eight turnovers in the final 20 minutes but were able to maintain control of the game by playing stout defense.  
• Ingram hits seven of eight from the foul line: Ingram came into Atlanta struggling from the line, hitting just 65 percent of his free-throws on the season. But the freshman managed to convert from the charity stripe on a consistent basis Tuesday. In previous games, Ingram was a liability late, but by connecting on all of the front ends of 1-and-1s, the freshman swingman gave Duke easy points to create breathing room down the stretch.

And the Duke game ball goes to… Grayson Allen