PITTSBURGH—Jeff Capel might have recruited freshmen Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett, but his team couldn't stop them Tuesday night.
No. 2 Duke easily defeated Pittsburgh 79-64 at the Petersen Events Center. Capel clearly improved the outlook of the Panther program from a dismal 2017-18 season, but his team was outmatched by the talented roster he helped compose as an assistant for the Blue Devils before accepting the job in Pittsburgh. Barrett and Williamson combined for 51 points as the freshmen silenced a raucous crowd in the opening minutes.
“We beat a good team tonight and a crowd that was ready,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “What a great atmosphere that is back at Pitt. [Capel’s] team plays so darn hard, and they were ready for us.”
On Duke’s first possession, Barrett set the tone with a strong drive to the basket to give his team the first points of the game. Without freshman point guard Tre Jones for the second full game in a row, Barrett took on more of a playmaking role than usual, and although his final statline didn’t show it, with only three assists, his ball movement and ball security against the zone helped Duke (16-2, 5-1 in the ACC) put the Panthers away.
The Pittsburgh offense initially provided problems for the Blue Devils, as freshman guard Trey McGowens attacked the lane again and again, forcing multiple switches in Duke’s man-to-man defense. McGowens led his team in points with 14 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field.
“What they lack in depth and experience, they make up for in grit, togetherness and really tough play,” Krzyzewski said. “Every game I watched them in, they played hard the whole time, and that’s what I would expect from [Capel’s] team.”
Johnson kept his team in the game early, as the Panthers (12-7, 2-4) battled to force four lead changes and two ties in the first half.
Without Jones’ excellent man defense, Duke found it difficult to stop McGowens' drives until Krzyzewski switched to a high 2-3 zone about midway through the first half. This defensive adjustment stifled Pittsburgh’s offensive game plan, as McGowens and fellow guard Xavier Johnson no longer had free range to attack the paint as much as they would have liked. Soon after, Duke went on a 29-9 run to turn what looked to be a close, back-and-forth game into a 19-point blowout by the end of the first half.
“With [Tre Jones] out, we’re a different team, so I thought the zone was good,” Krzyzewski said. “The best thing for us, it kept McGowens and Johnson off the free-throw line.”
With Duke leading by 22 points at the end of the second half, Pittsburgh made a small run to try and get back into the game, but to no avail.
No Panther had enough size, speed or athleticism to keep up with Williamson, as he bullied his way to the rim time and time again, not missing a shot in the first half and finishing with 25 overall on 11-of-13 shooting. With multiple and-ones and a stepback 3-pointer, Williamson put his already well-known talent on display. Was it the energy from Duke’s game against Virginia carrying over to tonight’s contest, or was it the fact that Jay-Z—the rapper Williamson chose to walk out to in Countdown to Craziness—sat front row? Regardless of the answer, Williamson’s performance played a big part in Duke’s dismantling of Pittsburgh.
“Quote me on this, Jay-Z is my favorite rapper,” Williamson said. “I listen to Jay-Z before every game.”
Another factor that propelled the Blue Devils past the Panthers was the fact that they shot the ball slightly better beyond the arc. Duke followed up an abysmal 14.3 percent 3-point shooting against Virginia with an 7-of-23 showing against Pittsburgh. Freshman Cam Reddish had a pretty good outing from downtown against the Panthers, making 3-of-10 shot attempts from long range. The Norristown, Pa. native also played well in other aspects of the game, finishing with six rebounds, four assists and three turnovers.
Duke dominated the painted area, outrebounding Pittsburgh 39-34 and seven blocks with junior Marques Bolden’s four rejections and nine boards leading the way. Williamson, Reddish and junior Jack White all had at least five rebounds to cap off defensive stops and give their team 18 second chance points on the offensive side of the ball.
After the win, the Blue Devils will travel back home to Durham and face Georgia Tech Saturday afternoon.
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