No. 5 Duke men’s basketball returned to action with a home contest against George Mason. After 20 minutes of play, the Blue Devils hold a 25-16 lead in a low-scoring matchup:
Brown returns
Junior forward Maliq Brown made his return from a toe injury he sustained on the road in Louisville. The only game he missed for this injury came against Incarnate Word at home. Despite Brown’s absence, it resulted in a dominant victory for the Blue Devils. His return comes at a good time for Duke, as his experience and ability on the defensive side of the ball have been crucial to his team’s success so far this season. Brown finished the half with four rebounds, a steal and an assist in what was overall a promising showing from Jon Scheyer’s star defender.
Battle on the boards
Height favored Duke in this matchup, so it should come as no surprise that the Blue Devils were dominant on the glass. Duke outrebounded George Mason by a 29-18 margin in the first half, but the Blue Devils were especially impressive on the offensive boards. With a 10-2 advantage on the offensive glass, there were plenty of opportunities for second-chance points. Unfortunately for the home squad, Duke’s only second-chance bucket of the evening came from a Sion James triple.
Streaky shooting
The Blue Devils were inconsistent shooting the ball in the first half against George Mason. Freshman Cooper Flagg knocked down his first 3-point attempt of the evening, and Tyrese Proctor followed it up with his own three in transition. This shooting success was short lived, as the Blue Devils missed 11 straight field goals coming out of the first media timeout before James ended the four-minute cold streak with a bucket from well beyond the arc. Purdue transfer Mason Gillis then buried a corner three to extend the lead to six, however, Duke finished shooting only 27.3% from the field and 26.7% from deep.
Shutdown defense
The Patriots did not score for the first 3:25 of game time. Despite having plenty of experience to lean on, they appeared shaky early on. George Mason turned the ball over twice and started 0-for-4 from the field before finally registering its first points on a Darius Maddox jumper. Additionally, the defense was clean, with the Blue Devils only committing four fouls in the first half. On the back of three steals and two blocks, Duke was able to get down the court for some easy buckets, registering seven fast-break points by halftime.
Player of the half: Cooper Flagg
Despite not playing his most efficient half on offense, Flagg still stood out. His seven points and seven rebounds were both team highs, and he also added an impressive block on George Mason’s Jalen Haynes. Flagg shot only 2-for-11 from the field in the first half, but his defensive composure and immense talent were still absolutely critical for the Blue Devils to take the lead into halftime.
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