The game got a little bit sketchy for Coach K and the Cameron Crazies, but Duke was able to hold on for a 69-65 win Monday night over the Virginia Cavaliers handing Virginia their first conference loss of the year.
In the first half, Duke head coach Mike Kryzwewski surprisingly changed his substitution pattern by making wholesale substitutions. He exchanged his five starters for five bench players and then would check the original five back in. The strategy seemed to start working early in the game. Duke's team was energized and was able to play with more defensive pressure. The Blue Devil's started off the half on an 8-0 run. But after a 10-4 run made the game 12-10 in favor of Duke, Duke grabbed control of the game because of the shooting of Rasheed Sulaimon. Sulaimon helped spark a run that got the Duke lead up to as much as 13 before Virginia cut the lead to eight before the half at 36-28.
In the second half, Virginia showed that they were not going to go away "quietly into that good night". Coach Tony Bennett's Cavaliers would close the gap, but Duke kept hitting shots and extending the lead back. The Blue Devils extended the lead back up to as many as 13 points, but with the score being 61-50 in favor of Duke with 4:29, the Cavaliers went on a 13-2 run to tie the game. The run was capped off by a Malcolm Brogdon layup as he was fouled with 1:25 left in the game.
After Rasheed Sulaimon made 1 of 2 costless throws with 54 seconds left to make it 64-63, Malcolm Brogdon would draw a foul off penetration and hit his pair of costless throws to give Virginia their first lead of the game at 65-64. But with 17 seconds left in the game Rasheed Sulaimon would come up big once more and hit a go ahead 3-pointer that put the Blue Devils up for good. Virginia had one last chance to tie or go ahead but Cavaliers' Senior guard Joe Harris missed the layup attempt and then committed a loose ball foul that sealed Virginia's fate.
Rasheed Sulaimon was huge for Duke in this game. Sulaimon scored 14 of his 21 points in the first half. But none of the shots that he hit were bigger than the trey with 17 seconds left in the game. Amile Jefferson gave Duke a much needed inside presence posting a double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds. Rodney Hood contributed 14 points to the Blue Devil's cause.
Malcolm Brogdon and Joe Harris simply would not let Virginia die in this game. Brogdon had a strong game with 17 points with Joe Harris coming through with 15 points and seven rebounds.
This win moves Duke's record to 13-4 and 2-2 in the ACC. Virginia's record goes to 12-5 and 3-1 in the ACC. Duke will play again at home Saturday in a "Tobacco Road" battle with North Carolina State while Virginia will go back home and face Florida St. on Saturday.
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