Duke made the bus ride to Greensboro, N.C., knowing that if it wanted to sneak into the NCAA tournament, it would likely have to win the ACC tournament. The Blue Devils started off on the right foot against Boston College Tuesday, taking a 41-27 halftime lead into the locker room.
Defense wins championships
Contrary to his normal MO, sophomore Matthew Hurt set the defensive tone, drawing a charge two minutes into the half. The usual defensive standouts of Wendell Moore Jr. and Jordan Goldwire combined for three steals to contribute to the team’s five steals in the half, and center Mark Williams added in a block to help keep the Boston College offensive attack at bay.
O Matthew where art thou?
For the third straight game, Hurt has struggled to make an impact on offense. The ACC’s leading scorer finished the half with three points on 1-of-5 shooting, and if Duke wants to finish this game on top, the Minnesota native is going to need to find a way to get back into the groove he was in prior to the recent Georgia Tech game.
Big Mark
Heading into this game, all eyes were on Williams and whether or not his presence in this second matchup with Boston College would be a significant factor. In short, the answer is absolutely. Williams once again made an immediate impact with a steal and layup in the first minute of the game, and he even showed off a crafty midpost move at the 10:49 mark to notch two of his 11 points of the half.
Pressure cooker
Duke’s season quite literally rides on this game, and the Blue Devils played like it in the first half. Whether it was picking up the ball immediately after the inbound or utilizing the services of both Patrick Tapé, Henry Coleman III and Joey Baker in the first half, Duke made it clear it was not afraid to empty the tank to get past the Eagles.
Player of the half: DJ Steward
Steward’s been no stranger to the highs and lows many freshmen face as they transition to college basketball, but his first half against Boston College has all the signs of a signature performance. The Chicago native tallied 13 points on a 3-for-6 mark from 3-point land, and his offensive contributions were exponentially more important considering Hurt's struggles.
As impressive as his overall performance was, the highlight of his half was his vicious putback jam off an errant 3-pointer with three minutes remaining. The Blue Devils will be in good shape if Steward can continue his offensive tear.
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Jake Piazza is a Trinity senior and was sports editor of The Chronicle's 117th volume.