Written by AARON BEARD of the ASSOCIATED PRESS.

In Durham, North Carolina, Kyle Filipowski disrupted the inbound pass at halfcourt, chased after the ball and then soared in for a windmill dunk.

Filipowski’s cheerful grin widened as Duke’s boisterous home stadium erupted with noise. The 10th-ranked Blue Devils cruised to a 73-48 victory on Saturday night against a struggling Virginia team as March got underway.

The Blue Devils (23-6, 14-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference) had a 59% shooting percentage in the first half, giving them a 25-point lead at halftime. Filipowski had 21 points, leading Duke’s domination in the paint against a defensive team known for guarding the lane.

“Their skill lies in forcing you to play with resistance,” commented Duke coach Jon Scheyer. “In situations where you have chances to take action after changing direction, moving quickly, or closing out…you must be aggressive and drive towards the goal.”

In the first half, Duke maintained an aggressive attitude, playing with sharp intensity to pass the ball and make successful shots in the paint.

Virginia, known for having the ninth-ranked defense according to KenPom, typically allows 94 points per 100 possessions. However, during league play, they also give up an average of 24.7 points in the paint. In their game against Duke, they allowed a season-high 44 points in the paint.

Duke’s overall energy played a role in the game, evidenced by a particular play where both Filipowski and freshman TJ Power scrambled for a loose ball, leading to a quick break and a dunk by Sean Stewart.

Unexpectedly, Filipowski made a windmill move that gave the Blue Devils a 35-13 lead, leading to a stress-free remainder of the evening.

He stated, “I had a good feeling in my legs today and wanted to demonstrate that I was auditioning for the upcoming ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ film.”

Duke’s Tyrese Proctor contributed 15 points to the team’s score.

Reece Beekman scored 18 points and Isaac McKneely contributed 12 as the Cavaliers (21-9, 12-7) experienced a decline and are now facing a significant decrease. In their last six games, the Cavaliers have lost four. They only had a 30.9% shooting accuracy, and made 5 out of 17 shots from behind the arc.

“They were successful in getting the ball into the lane, on the court, and off the backboard in various ways,” remarked Virginia coach Tony Bennett. He also noted, “They were able to get the shots they wanted in the first half. It was a mismatch within the paint.”

BIG PICTURE

Virginia’s men’s basketball team, the Cavaliers, seemed to have found a solution as they went on an eight-game winning streak and re-entered the AP Top 25 rankings on February 12. However, their recent performance has taken a downturn, with four games where they have only scored in the 40s.

Duke is making changes to their rotation as freshman Caleb Foster is currently unavailable with a lower-body injury. He is wearing a boot on his right foot and coach Scheyer stated that he will most likely not be playing in the near future. However, Duke remains just behind No. 9 North Carolina in the ACC standings.

UP NEXT

Virginia’s final game of the regular season will take place on March 9 against Georgia Tech at their home arena.

Duke’s basketball team, known as the Blue Devils, will have a quick turnaround as they make a brief trip to play against North Carolina State on Monday evening.

Source: wralsportsfan.com