I think we’ve all wondered what would happen if the Blue Devils put together a complete game and I think we found out. For once the Blue Devils didn’t have a slow start so they didn’t have to spend the entirety of the half digging themselves out of a hole. A six-point burst by the Cardinals pushed the visitors in front for the first time, 25-24, with 4:30 remaining before halftime. Duke threw the first punch, and Louisville punched back but that made the Blue Devils flex their muscles and bare their teeth. Duke ratcheted up the defense, found connectivity on offense and turned a 1 point deficit at the 4:40 mark of the first half to a 10 point lead by the time the buzzer sounded to signal the end of the first stanza. Only allowing 3 points in a 12-3 run that started with a Patrick Ngongba layup and free throw.
Ngongba started the second half just as aggressive, scoring Duke’s first 10 points and helping extend the Blue Devils’ lead to 15, 48-33, at the 17:27 mark. Nik “Pork Chop” Khamenia highlighted another run, this time 16-6 with a triple and fast-break dunk, growing the lead over 20 for the first time, 64-41, at the halfway mark of the second half. The Blue Devils cruised to an 83-52 victory over the Cardinals, outscoring them 45-24 in the second half.
Duke’s defense held the Cardinals to just 30% shooting for the game, and 32% from 3-point range. Duke also owned the glass with a strong 47-26 edge. Second chance points also belonged to the Blue Devils to the tune of 16-5. The most telling stat might be Duke’s 42-10 edge in paint points.
Cameron Boozer led the Blue Devils in points, rebounds and assists with 19, 10 and 4. While Isaiah Evans and Pat Ngongba added 15 points each. Nik Khamenia’s burst saw him scoring career-high 14 points – all coming in the second half.