Filipowski takes charge as Duke, ranked 2nd, begins their season with a 92-54 victory over Dartmouth.
On Monday evening, Kyle Filipowski contributed 25 points to lead No. 2 Duke in a 92-54 victory against Dartmouth, marking the start of Year 2 with Jon Scheyer as head coach.
In the first game of the season, newcomer Caleb Foster scored 15 points for the Blue Devils (1-0). They had a strong shooting percentage of 64.4% and were leading the Big Green by double digits at halftime (42-21). Despite not having wing starter Mark Mitchell due to a lower-body injury, the Blue Devils, who were predicted to win the Atlantic Coast Conference, won their 23rd consecutive season opener.
Duke assumed control during the middle of the first half, converting 11 out of 14 shots in the last 10 minutes to extend their lead. This included a streak of six successful possessions, beginning with inside shots from Filipowski and Ryan Young, followed by 3-pointers against the zone defense from Foster, Tyrese Proctor, and the 7-foot Filipowski.
Dusan Neskovic led the Big Green (0-1) with a total of 23 points, while the other members of his team only managed to make 8 out of 37 shots (21.6%). This loss marks Dartmouth’s 44th consecutive defeat against ranked opponents, bringing their all-time record to 3-55 in these types of games.
BIG PICTURE
At Dartmouth, seven out of the nine highest scoring players have returned for the upcoming season. Despite being ranked seventh in the eight-team Ivy League, the Big Green team is determined to improve upon their 10-18 record from last year. In their recent game against Duke, Dartmouth put up a good fight in the first 10 minutes but ultimately fell behind and were unable to secure their first win against a ranked team since 1956.
Duke: The Blue Devils haven’t lost an opener since an 0-2 start in the 1999-2000 season and were coming off a 16-0 record at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Scheyer’s debut season as successor to retired Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski.
UP NEXT
On Friday evening, UMass Lowell will be visiting Dartmouth’s Big Green.
Duke University’s basketball team, the Blue Devils, will be facing off against the 12th ranked Arizona team on Friday evening. This game will also serve as a reunion for Blue Devils’ rival, North Carolina, as their former player Caleb Love now plays for the Wildcats.
Source: wralsportsfan.com