Just your basic holiday game, nothing good or bad in particular.
It certainly wasn’t a beautiful game or anything, but Duke took out Incarnate Word 72-46.
You’ve probably noticed that most big programs tend to schedule weak competition over the holidays.
This is because these schools, Duke included, tend to have exam breaks and then the holidays. It’s not a time when you can practice a lot and continuity takes a break.
So you tend to schedule schools that, ideally, are going to give you a workout but not necessarily a serious challenge.
For nearly 20 minutes, Incarnate Word gave Duke a bit of a challenge: the halftime score was 28-21.
In the first half, neither team could get much going. The Cardinals got off to a 5-2 start before Duke could really get anything going. Then they hung around until 16-14 with 6:30 to play in the first half before Duke got some separation, building a 28-21 halftime lead.
It didn't help that Sion James got back-to-back fouls in the first minute of the game,
Ultimately Khaman Maluach was too big a mountain for UIW to climb: when the score was 16-14, Maluach hit six straight points to give Duke a 22-14 lead.
After Incarnate Word cut the lead to 24-21, Maluach hit four points in the last :50 seconds of the half to push Duke’s lead to 28-21.
The second half was a completely different story. Duke’s defense was solid in the first half but the offense was erratic at best.
In the second half, the defense shut UIW out for nearly seven and a half minutes while the offense got on track.
Maluach opened the second half with another three points to put Duke up 31-21 and it was off to the races, like someone dusted the gears and the Blue Devils started to score with relative ease.
By the time UIW scored in the second, Duke had ripped off a 15-0 run and it wasn’t over yet.
Duke would outscore Incarnate Word 33-23 the rest of the way. It was much more free-flowing in the second, with Isaiah Evans getting on another one of his heaters, scoring 14 including four three pointers.
There is some angst about another slow start, but that’s kind of inevitable during a holiday/exam period game and it didn't help that Maliq Brown, who has emerged as a huge force defensively, sat this one out with a toe injury.
It wasn’t great that Cooper Flagg was 2-8, Tyrese Proctor was 2-7 and Kon Knueppel was 2-6, but overall Duke finished with 32 percent from three point range and 43.6 percent overall. The Blue Devils held UIW to 21.7 percent on three point attempts and 32.1 percent overall.
Duke also hammered the Cardinals on the boards, 44 to 26 and doubled up on offensive rebounds, 16-8.
The best news was a solid outing by Maluach. He still doesn’t always understand how to attack the basket when he’s defended - he is still awkward taking the ball up with someone in his face - but he put himself in position to succeed a lot Tuesday night and he was alert on defense and intimidating too.
The backcourt, generally speaking, wasn’t good offensively. Tyrese Proctor shot 2-7 and Caleb Foster was 1-6. Sion James shot 3-4 but his early foul trouble limited his minutes.
Mason Gillis has not shot well lately and that continued here, hitting 0-3. However, he had five assists and three rebounds.
Patrick Ngongba got 18 minutes and while he wasn’t ready to handle surprising passes inside he did score six points and pulled down five rebounds. Darren Harris got some minutes too, with non, and he hit four points.
Notes - Kon Knueppel may lead the team in floor burns...that guy has no issue diving for loose balls...Flagg didn't shoot well but he pulled down eight rebounds...Maluach had seven...Sion James had eight....if he continues to develop, Isaiah Evans could be a huge key to Duke’s season...he’s a devastating force off the bench when he’s hitting his shot...Ngongba has the potential to develop into a really nice player but his body is still a bit pudgy...Tulane QB Darian Mensah is in the portal and was visiting Duke today...the Crazies called him to come sit with them which we believe may be a first...
