Gary B. Graves, an AP Sports Writer, reported on the recent events.

On Tuesday night, Duke’s Tyrese Proctor had a career-best performance with 24 points, 13 of which were scored in the second half and included some crucial baskets. Mark Mitchell, who had been out with an injury, also contributed 20 points and 12 rebounds as Duke beat Louisville 83-69 in a hard-fought game.

After losing at home to Pitt with a score of 80-76, the Blue Devils (14-4, 5-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) were able to bounce back thanks to the comeback of Mitchell and Jeremy Roach, who had been out due to knee injuries. This helped them take a 45-34 lead at halftime. However, they had to continue working hard to maintain their advantage against the determined Cardinals. Proctor played a crucial role in this, making a crucial 3-pointer at the 7:08 mark to bring the score to 68-60.

Mitchell extended the lead by 10 points with a layup, and Jared McCain kept it steady with a 3-pointer at the 2:54 mark. This helped Duke secure a 77-65 win over Louisville in their first of two games this season.

Proctor shot 40% from beyond the arc and 56.3% overall, surpassing his previous high of 22 points against La Salle in November. Mitchell had a strong performance, making 8 out of 11 shots. Kyle Filipowski contributed 17 points and 15 rebounds.

Brandon Huntley-Hatfield scored 20 points for the Cardinals (6-13, 1-7), but unfortunately, they lost their fourth consecutive game. Both Louisville and Duke had a 46% shooting percentage, but the Cardinals were outrebounded 23-15 in the second half and overall 43-28.

BIG PICTURE

Duke: After losing three out of their last four games and being outrebounded, the Blue Devils dominated the rebounding game on both offense and defense, resulting in a 34-30 advantage in points scored in the paint.

Despite being down by 18 points in the beginning, the Louisville Cardinals put up a good fight. However, their performance at the free throw line (16 of 24) and turnovers (10 leading to 14 points for the opponent) proved to be detrimental. Additionally, their bench was outscored 26-10.

UP NEXT

Duke will face Clemson on Saturday in their only matchup of the season.

On Saturday, Louisville will host Virginia and hope to make up for their previous 77-53 defeat by the Cavaliers on January 3rd. They also aim to end their eight-game losing streak against Virginia.

Source: wralsportsfan.com