TUCSON, Ariz.— The fittingly named “Grand Canyon State” is proud of its most famous attraction, which draws millions of visitors each year from around the world.
But all eyes were pointed to 10 players and 14,500 fans on the opposite end of the state Friday night.
Inside a sold-out McKale Memorial Center in Tucson, No. 12 Duke and No. 17 Arizona engaged in a battle befitting its pregame hype, a contest the visitors won 69-55. It’s the first statement win of the nascent season for head coach Jon Scheyer and his Blue Devils, who still have two more probable top-10 opponents to play this month.
"For us to come in here and to hold them to 55 points, out rebound them by 13, did a good job keeping them off the foul line, to me, those were the keys," Scheyer said postgame. "It really started with the amazing character of the guys next to me, the connectivity of our team, to be able to bounce back after a tough loss."
It was the 3-point shot that sealed this one for the Blue Devils (4-1). Freshman Kon Knueppel atoned for his earlier misses with two of the game’s most consequential buckets — a size-up, step-back three over his defender’s head to set the score 57-48 in Duke’s favor with just more than five minutes to go. Then he hit another, bumping the cushion to 61-49.
The other differentiator between Duke and Arizona (2-2) Friday night was height in the post. Motiejus Krivas, at 7-foot-2, made 7-foot-2 Khaman Maluach and 6-foot-9 Maliq Brown work hard, but once Krivas picked up three fouls — later corrected to two at halftime — and was sent to the bench, no Wildcat deputy was able to contend with the Blue Devil size advantage. Usual starter Tobe Awaka, standing eye-level with Brown, was denied in favor of small-ball alternatives and played just 12 minutes. The final rebound ledger favored Duke by 13.
Where Arizona could contend, though, was turnovers. In just under two minutes after the halftime break — and holding a 34-27 lead — Duke surrendered the ball two messy times and lost a jump ball, allowing the Wildcats back within a possession before pumping its lead back to eight.
The Blue Devil defense took over from there.
Arizona struggled to get anything off the pick-and-roll and Duke kept the typically-dominant home squad off the glass in the second half, allowing its lead to balloon into double digits. The Wildcats made sure the Blue Devils never ran away, though. They hit a flurry of threes midway through the second frame and employed a fierce full-court press that interrupted Duke’s preset passing sequences. The Blue Devils turned to deep shots and the free-throw line in response, to limited (but enough) effect.
"Just stay in the course. That was the biggest thing I told these guys, especially early," junior guard Tyrese Proctor said. "They're gonna come out and punch us, try and punch us straight away. And I thought we handled that really well."
Things got off to a hot start in the desert with a rapid 25 points of offense in the opening five minutes. Proctor and Cooper Flagg accounted for all but two of Duke’s 13 points in that span, nine of which were from beyond the arc. The shooting shoes untied themselves a bit from there, resulting in a putrid 1-for-19 combined clip in the more than five minutes between Arizona’s 12th and 14th point.
The one successful shot was a ruthless jam by graduate guard Sion James — an opportunity made possible by fellow transfer Maliq Brown’s incisive bounce pass into an undefended post. A dozen or so minutes later, the duo pulled an almost identical trick, stanching the bleeding from Duke’s own dry spell.
James may have had both of Duke’s most impressive plays, but his wholesale contributions were more noteworthy. Head coach Tommy Lloyd’s Wildcats couldn’t seem to figure out whether James was playing guard or forward, and since they had to contend with James’ taller teammates the graduate student was often left uncovered when he cut to the basket.
"He does everything for us. He really does," Scheyer said of James. "His rebounding was a huge strength — he and Kon tied us for leading rebounds — his off-ball movement, his shot creation, being able to penetrate and kick, and he can score. But, you know, to get a guy in his in his fifth year who's been — he scored a lot of points at Tulane and all that — to not be about numbers, to just be about winning, is unique."
Once Jaden Bradley finally broke the Wildcats’ duck, both sides roared back to life. The Blue Devils, especially Maluach, were the main beneficiary. His post drive turned into two points from the stripe and a three — his first all season — from the far corner.
The Wildcats’ inability to establish any sort of form from the arc outside their barren patch didn’t help their case. Their shot selection was good but the Blue Devil post defense shut down any possibility of second chances, making the most of Krivas’ cautious play.
Flagg failed to stake his impact in the opening frame but improved as the game went on, entering the halftime locker room with an uncharacteristic 3-for-11 rate from the floor. His final 24-point tally was much better, highlighted by a one-handed slam down Arizona’s throat and a crucial kick-out three to silence the crowd.
"I think in the first half I was a little bit soft on some of my finishes," Flagg said. "I mean, it's a high-level college basketball game, really physical and they're a very physical team. So I think [I] found my footing and played off two feet a little bit better."
Wildcat fifth-year guard and famed Blue Devil heartbreaker Caleb Love was ineffectual in his ninth game against Duke, contributing a measly eight points — with three turnovers — to his team’s defeat.
Duke’s schedule doesn’t get easier, as it travels to Las Vegas to take on No. 1 Kansas Tuesday at 9 p.m.
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Andrew Long is a Trinity senior and recruitment/social chair of The Chronicle's 120th volume. He was previously sports editor for Volume 119.