Thank you for joining us here at VAVEL USA. My name is Matthew Evans signing off. Have a great evening and a wonderful rest of your weekend.
The VAVEL USA Player of the Game is Quinn Cook of the Duke Blue Devils. His three pointer with 1:27 to go proved to be the difference.
Wow, what an impressive display late in the game from the Duke Blue Devils tonight.
That is the first loss of the season for the Virginia Cavaliers.
Final Score: Duke 69, Virginia 63
2nd (0:00): Brogdon has his shot blocked and THAT WILL DO IT!
2nd (0:10): Duke is on an 11-0 run to end this game. Wow.
2nd (0:10): TYUS JONES WITH THE THREE!!!! What a shot from deep and it is Duke 69-63.
2nd (0:44): Tobey misses the shot and Cook comes down with the rebound.
2nd (1:06): Virginia feeds the ball in the post to Tobey who is fouled. He misses the front end of the one-and-one but gets the offensive rebound. He misses the put back but they get possession on the tie up.
2nd (1:27): COOK FOR THREE!!!! COLD BLOODED SHOT!!!! Duke 66-63
2nd (2:05): Winslow finds himself open and sinks the shot and we are tied. 63-63
2nd (2:55): DUNK BY ANDERSON!!! Matt Jones drills at three on the other end. Virginia 63-61.
2nd (3:39): Brogden with a huge three pointer from the elbow. Cook responses with a three of his own. Virginia 61-59
Media Timeout: Virginia 58, Duke 56
2nd (4:02): OKAFOR with the putback on a missed three. Virginia 58-56
2nd (4:48): Perrantes answers with a floater that is answered with a three by Quinn Cook. Virginia 58-53
2nd (5:16): Anthony Gill makes a nice drive to the bucket. Tyus Jones earns a hoop and a harm on the other end. The free throw is good. Virginia 56-50
2nd (5:37): Anderson makes both of the free throws. Virginia 54-47
2nd (5:37): Justise Winslow with a flagarent one foul called for holding onto Justin Anderson's ankle on a fast-break. Anderson will get two shots and the ball.
2nd (5:55): Perrantes with a three on the other end! Virginia 52-47
2nd (6:22): Okafor feeds Matt Jones in the post for an open bucket. Virginia 49-47
2nd (7:22): Okafor scores on a running hook shot after a miss on the other end from Virginia. The Cavaliers turn the ball over on their next possession. Virginia 49-45
2nd (7:56): Okafor with a dunk on the inbounds after the timeout. Virginia 49-43
Media Timeout: Virginia 49, Duke 41
2nd (7:59): The pace is really starting to pick up now as we reach the under eight media timeout.
2nd (8:30): Justin Anderson called for a goaltend. Virginia 47-41
2nd (9:06): Justin Anderson with a follow up bucket. Winslow scores on the other end to keep it an eight-point game. Virginia 47-39
2nd (9:34): Quinn Cook hits the first three pointer of the night for Duke. Virginia 45-37
2nd (9:56): Brogdon draws a foul on Grayson Allen. Justise Winslow comes back in, Duke could use him heating up soon.
2nd (11:11): Matt Jones with the nice drive to the basket but the shot is missed. Okafor cannot gather the rebound. Tobey with the jumper on the other end. Virginia 45-34
Media Timeout: Virginia 43, Duke 34
2nd (12:15): Duke has dropped into the 2-3 zone.
2nd (13:01): Wilkins with a long jumper that Matt Jones answers on the other end. Virginia 43-34
2nd (13:50): Okafor takes a run at the basket but he cannot hit the shot. Meanwhile, Virginia extends the lead to 11 with another lay-up. Duke scores on the bucket with the foul but cannot hit the free throw.
Timeout Duke
2nd (14:12): Another lay-up for Brogdon and Duke calls a timeout. Virginia 39-30
2nd (14:34): Duke cannot buy a bucket
2nd (15:09): The free throw is good. Virginia 37, Duke 30
2nd (15:35): Virginia makes two free throws and then forces another turnover on the other end. Brogdon is fouled on a drive to the basket which he makes and one!
Media Timeout: Virginia 32, Duke 30
2nd (16:00): Brogdon forces a shot for Virginia that is missed. On the other end, Okafor is called for another turnover after a double-team in the post. Okafor then gets called for a foul on the defensive end.
2nd (16:50): Jones sinks two free throws to bring the margin to 2. Virginia 32-30
2nd (17:07): Brogdon with the lay-up off the inbound play and he draws the foul. His free throw is good. Virginia 32-28
2nd (17:40): Virginia's defense really steps up on the next possession. They force a contested three and Okafor turns the ball over off his foot.
2nd (18:12): Perrantes with a layup on a beautiful move to the basket. Virginia 29-28
2nd (19:16): Winslow misses a three-point shot but Okafor is called for traveling on the offensive rebound. Virginia takes the lead for just a few seconds before Duke responds with a thunderous Okafor dunk. Duke 28-27
2nd (19:50): Tyus Jones called for the early foul.
Here we go, the second half gets underway with Virginia starting with possession.
While we are on the 20 win subject, Northern Iowa picked up their 20th win today as well.
A big congratulations to Valparaiso for winning their 20th game on the season earlier on Saturday.
Virginia has done a very good job in controlling Jahlil Okafor. He has just one shot attempt in the first half.
The other undefeated team in the country is dominating in their game right now. Kentucky up 37-24 at the half over Alabama.
A very exciting half of basketball between two very good teams. Justise Winslow led all scorers with 11 points. Virginia grabbed 21 rebounds in the first half, ten of those were on the offensive glass.
Halftime: Duke 26, Virginia 25
1st (0:00): Virginia forces a turnover to gain the last possession. They take a jumper that is off the back iron, the offensive rebound is fumbled and that will end the half.
1st (0:42): Timeout Duke
1st (0:47): Brogdon with a nice jumper from the wing. Duke 26-25
1st (1:08): Timeout Virginia
1st (1:13): A poor foul called inside sends Amile Jefferson to the line. He misses both.
1st (2:02): Malcolm Brogdon is fouled on a fast break for Virginia. That looked like it could have been a shooting foul but it was called otherwise.
1st (2:22): Winslow is called for a foul just before a shot clock violation. Two shots coming to Wilkins. He makes one of two. Duke 26-23
1st (2:58): Jahlil Okafor with a power move in the post for his first points of the night. Duke 26-22
1st (3:21): Atkins sinks the free thrown. Duke 24-22
It is becoming a game of 'anything you can do, I can do better' between Justise Winslow and Darion Atkins.
Media Timeout: Duke 24, Virginia 21
1st (3:21): Darion Atkins is just taking over. He makes a move to the basket to draw the defensive foul and he sinks his lay-up. Atkins will go to the line when we come back. Duke 24-21
1st (4:36): Virginia on a run here as Atkins scores again but Winslow pulls one back for Duke. Duke 24-19
1st (5:11): Virginia is owning the offensive glass. Darion Atkins scores on the putback and the momentum is swinging in the favor of Virginia. Duke 22-17
1st (6:09): Mike Tobey rises up and sinks a jumper over Okafor. Duke 22-15
1st (6:36): Tyus Jones drives to the bucket and lays it up and in. Duke 22-13
Duke is controlling the tempo right now. Half of their points have come on the fast break.
Media Timeout: Duke 20, Virginia 13
1st (8:11): Isaiah Wilkins with two big offensive rebounds to keep possessions alive. Sadly, Virginia has not been able to convert on either. Duke with another lay-up on a fast break, it looked like Quinn Cook with the bucket. Duke 20-13
1st (9:37): Winslow makes one of two free throws. Duke 18-13
1st (10:20): Winslow with a big sequence. A block on the defensive end and then he drives coast-to-coast for the bucket. Mike Tobey responses on the other end for Virginia. Duke 17-13
1st (10:44): Winslow with the lay-up on the fast break. Duke 15-11
1st (11:33): Isaiah Wilkins with a big put back to tie the game up. On the other end, Justise Winslow with a JAM! Duke 13-11
1st (11:53): Grayson Allen makes one of two free throws. Duke 11-9
Media Timeout: Duke 10, Virginia 9
1st (11:58): Justin Anderson for three on the wing! A foul called on the other end as Duke presses forward. It will be Duke ball when we come back. Duke 10-9
1st (12:25): Matt Jones with the runner in the lane. Duke 10-6
1st (13:05): Anthony Gill with the fall away jumped. Duke 8-6
1st (13:24): Tyus Jones makes both free throws. Grayson Allen comes in off the bench. Duke 8-4
Media Timeout: Duke 6, Virginia 4
1st (13:25): Tyus Jones is fouled on the drive to the bucket. He will go to the free throw line when we get back from the media timeout.
1st (13:52): Malcolm Brogdon with a tough drive to the bucket and the reverse lay-up. Duke 6-4
1st (14:22): Amile Jefferson with the easy lay-up after some great passing by the Blue Devils. Duke 6-2
1st (15:07): Justise Winslow with the lay-up on a fast break. Duke 4-2
1st (15:52): Tyus Jones misses a wide open three-pointer.
1st (16:30): Duke is pushing the tempo but is having problems converting. Virginia with another turnover and Duke brings the ball into the front court. 2-2
1st (17:45): Darion Atkins with the put back for the first points of the game. Quinn Cook on the other end is fouled and makes the bucket. His free throw is no good. 2-2.
1st (18:11): Jahlil Okafor called for another turnover, a second travel.
1st (18:35): Virginia answers with a turnover of their own. Duke with the ball. 0-0.
1st (19:00): Darion Atkins misses the first shot of the game. Duke comes out in man-to-man coverage. Jahlil Okahor with a turnover on the other end.
1st (20:00): Virginia wins the tip and we are underway.
Duke is wearing their black jerseys, Virginia is in all-white.
The lights are back on and here we go. The student section is rocking around the arena,
The lineups are being introduced right now.
Alright what do you think? Can Virginia keep their undefeated record after tonight's game? Tip-off is moments away in Charlottesville.
Here is the starting lineup for the Duke Blue Devils:
Justise Winslow, Amile Jefferson, Jahlil Okafor, Quinn Cook, Tyus Jones
Here is the starting lineup for the Virginia Cavaliers:
We will be right back in a few minutes with the tip-off.
An interesting stat showing that Duke is 11-11 on the road in the ACC over the last three seasons. Very interesting indeed, we'll see if this young Duke team can overcome history and pull off a win.
A sea of orange around the arena welcomes in the pre-game coverage. Both teams are on the court warming up.
The College Gameday crew is ready for pre-game coverage.
We turn out attention now to our game tonight. Which team will be able to establish their tempo? Can Duke run-and-gun or will Virginia control the clock? We are just about 18 minutes away from finding out.
How about that Louisville looks like they will pull this comeback off barring a miracle from Carolina. A Louisville win means that Virginia will finish the day on top of the Atlantic Coast Conference no matter what tonight's result is.
North Carolina is falling apart in overtime. Louisville with a five point lead.
A look inside John Paul Jones Arena during Duke's shootaround last night.
We are inching closer to tip-off in Charlottesville. Do you see the Blue Devils pulling out the win on the road?
What a finish! Overtime in Louisville! North Carolina 60, Louisville 60.
Down to a minute remaining and a tie game in Louisville. That is going to be a good finish.
Duke is very impressive as well for being such a young team. They have just four upperclassmen on their roster led by senior guard Quinn Cook. Cook is one of the best free throw shooters in America with a 95.5% free-throw percentage.
One thing that is impressive about the Virginia roster is just the sheer size on their team. They have two players who are less than 6-foot-5, both of whom are seniors. Maleek Frazier is 5-foot-10 and Rob Vozenilek is 6-foot-2. Both of those players are deep bench guys.
What an exciting game in Louisville, as the Cardinals have erased a big halftime lead from North Carolina to pull within two with less than six minutes to go.
Finally at 10 pm ET, the 3rd ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs welcome the Memphis Tigers to The Kennel in Spokane for a big non-conference game for both schools.
There are two other games tipping off later that involve ranked teams. The 24th ranked Oklahoma Sooners travel to Stillwater for Bedlem against the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
Top ranked Kentucky tips off at the same time as our game tonight. They will be looking to improve to 21-0 as they welcome the Alabama Crimson Tide to Rupp Arena.
Two big Top 25 matchups going on right now as 13th ranked North Carolina is taking on 10th ranked Louisville and in the Missouri Valley Conference, the top two schools are facing off at the 12th ranked Wichita State Shockers are playing the 18th ranked Northern Iowa Panthers.
15th ranked Iowa State held off TCU in Ames by a score of 83-66. 21st ranked Georgetown beat Creighton on the road 67-40. 25th ranked Butler was taken to overtime by Marquette before pulling away for a 72-68 win.
Another big upset came from the state of Virginia as the Rams of Virginia Commonwealth lost their first Atlantic 10 game of the season in a 64-55 loss to Richmond. Richmond point guard Kendall Anthony scored 22 points for the Spiders who improved to 5-3 in the conference and 12-9 overall. They still have some work to do if they want to get an at-large spot in the NCAA Tournament but a win over VCU is a big step in the right direction.
Speaking of Kansas, the Jayhawks held off a late charge from in-state rival Kansas State to win 68-57 on Saturday. Forward Perry Ellis finished with a double-double that included 16 points and 12 rebounds. Three other Jayhawks finished in double figures on the day.
7th ranked Villanova retook the lead in the wacky Big East with a big 68-55 win over DePaul at the Allstate Arena. Villanova could be in line for a #1 seed especially with either Duke or Virginia picking up a loss today. A loss by the Cavaliers would be big for teams like Kansas, Gonzaga and Arizona.
Back to ACC action, NC State won a buzzer beater in Atlanta over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. It was Trevor Lacey with the straight away bucket as time expired to lift the Wolfpack to an 81-80 overtime victory. Clemson held their home court with a win over the visiting Boston College Eagles by a score of 64-49.
17th ranked West Virginia beat Texas Tech 77-58 in Morgantown. The win improves the Mountaineers to 6-2 in the very difficult Big 12.
The first big upset of the day came at Pittsburgh where the Panthers upset 8th ranked Notre Dame by a score of 76-72. The win snaps Pitt’s three-game losing streak bringing them to within one game of .500 in the ACC.
5th ranked Wisconsin held on for a big road win over the tricky Iowa Hawkeyes by a score of 74-63. The Badgers finished with four players in double-figures including 24 points from senior forward Frank Kaminsky. He has scored 20+ points in four of his last five games.
Let’s go take a look around the Top 25 and ACC scoreboard from today.
And welcome in as we start our live coverage of today’s big game between Duke and Virginia from Charlottesville, Virginia.
Who will win this game today will be dependent on who can establish and maintain their own tempo. If it is an up-and-down game with higher scores, then expect Duke to win. If it is a half-court style of game with not many possession, it will favor Virginia.
Virginia is led by a pair of junior guards who both average around 13 points per game. Justin Anderson from Montross, Virginia is averaging 13.9 points per game while Malcolm Brogdon from Norcross, Georgia is averaging 13.3 points per game.
What helped Virginia get the win was their top-ranked defense which is allowing only 49.2 points per game. Their opponents have only reached the 60 point mark in three of their 19 games in 2014-15.
It was the second-worst shooting performance on the season for Tony Bennett’s club. Virginia shot just 34.7% (17-of-49) from the floor which included 6-for-18 from behind the arc. They committed 13 turnovers as well which was their high mark in ten games.
Virginia comes in off of a very close result as well having barely scraped by in-state rival Virginia Tech last Sunday night by a score of 50-47. Junior guard Justin Anderson led the Cavaliers with 12 points in the game including 10 of the final 14 points scored by Virginia in the last 10:24 of the contest.
Duke is led by National Player of the Year candidate Jahlil Okafor. The freshman leads the team with 18.7 points per game, which is also good for the lead in the conference as well. He is also averaging nearly 10 rebounds per game. Despite the stats, his leadership on the floor has been a big reason for his success. Okafor is such a smart basketball player who should have a good career when he leaves for the NBA.
That was not the end of the poor week as Mike Krzyzewski announced the following day that guard Rasheed Sulaimon had been dismissed from the program. Sulaimon was one of the team’s better bench players and now leaves a big hole that will need to be filled. That reserve guard role will likely be filled by a combination of Matt Jones and Grayson Allen who have combined for about 7.5 points per game this season.
The final few minutes went back and forth between the schools until Jerian Grant fed a wide-open Steve Vasturia who drained a three-pointer to make it a two possession game with 28 seconds remaining. Duke could not manage to find a field goal in the end with the game finishing Notre Dame 77, Duke 73.
It was a very tough pill to swallow for Duke as they had Notre Dame where they wanted them up by 10 points with 10:59 remaining in regulation. At that point, Duke went cold missing their next five shots to spring a 12-0 Irish run to turn the tide back to Notre Dame.
This week has not been the best for Coach K. Last week ended with him getting his 1,000th win as a head coach, become the first person to do that in Men’s College Basketball. On Wednesday, they traveled to 8th ranked Notre Dame for a big conference showdown with the Irish.
Today’s game is a must win for the Duke Blue Devils if they want to keep their ACC Regular Season Title hopes alive, even for a top four spot in the Conference Tournament. The Blue Devils are currently sitting at 4-3 in the ACC, three games behind first-place Virginia. A loss would drop them to four games out with half of the conference schedule to go.
Good afternoon and welcome to VAVEL USA’s live coverage of NCAA College Basketball. Our game today features two of the best teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference and the nation as the 4th ranked Duke Blue Devils travel north to Charlottesville to face off with the 2nd ranked Virginia Cavaliers. My name is Matthew Evans and I will be your host today.