Boston College at Duke: Gameday Open Thread
Duke finally takes the floor again—we think—on Wednesday when Boston College travels to Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The Blue Devils last played on Dec. 16, when it opened ACC play with a 75-65 win at Notre Dame. Since then, Duke has had two games cancelled the day before game time—at home against Pitt and on the road at Florida State. The Blue Devils had already traveled to Tallahassee when the game was called off.
The full Duke team didn’t make that trip, however. Coach Mike Krzyzewski was pulled off the bus just before departure after a family member tested positive for COVID-19. Coach K had been exposed to the virus and is quarantining until Saturday. Associate head coach Jon Scheyer will fill in as interim coach against B.C.
Duke will also be without two players. Freshman Jalen Johnson missed the Notre Dame game with a foot injury and hasn’t returned to practice yet. He’s joined on the shelf by graduate transfer Patrick Tape. The big man from Columbia University suffered a back injury in practice last week. He’s day-to-day but has been ruled out for the Boston College game.
Krzyzewski is the only member of the team to miss time due to COVID tracing. But the Blue Devils have still had their scheduled disrupted by outbreaks on opposing teams. Duke has played just five games this season, going 3-2, 1-0 in the ACC.
It will be 21 days since Duke’s last game when the tilt against the Eagles tips off. That’s the longest in-season gap between games in program history.
Duke has had three seasons with 20-day gaps between games—1932, 1933 and 1934. The Blue Devils have also had 18-day midseason breaks six times, most recently in 1956.
The longest in-season gap during Coach K’s tenure was 17 days in 2008. Duke also had 16-day breaks in 1992 and last season.
Your starters: Goldwire, Roach, Steward, Hurt Williams
BC hits its first three three-point shots of the game to jump out to an early lead.
In case you're wondering, Duke is 6-3 in games Coach K has missed since his return from the back surgery that cost him most of the 1995 season.
We hit the first break with BC up 15-11.
Goldwire banks in a three and Duke cuts the lead to 18-17 at the under 12
BC now 5-of-7 from three and on a 10-0 run. Eagles up by 12
Scheyer takes a time out to stop the bleeding. Duke cuts it to 31-21 at the under 8
Duke needs to get some stops to cut into this lead. BC is hitting nearly 70 percent from the field. Eagles lead 37-25 at the under 4
Duke closes the half on a 5-0 run in the final minute to get it back to single digits 43-35. Wendell Moore seems to have shaken off his slump--he has 9 on 3-of-5 shooting.
Duke off to an 11-3 start to the second half and ties the score.
After the BC timeout, Steward hits a layup to give Duke the lead. Duke has hit all four of its shots this half.
At the under 16, Duke leads 50-48
BC continues to hit everything. The Eagles are 7-of-10 from three. BC leads 58-55 at the under 12 and will shoot an and-one after the timeout.
Moore hits a three to tie things at 60, then hits a layup to give Duke the lead. He has 20. Moore had a total of 19 points in the first five games.
Duke calls time out to force the under 8. It's tied at 62.
Now tied at 69, mainly because Duke is 12-of-21 on free throws, including one of its last three.
Offensive foul by BC (drawn by Moore) sends us to the under 4 with BC up 73-71
Hurt putback ties it. Steward putback puts Duke up 75-73, time out BC, 2:38 to go
Heath ties it at the line. Duke time out. 75-75. 1:37 to go
Hurt for three. Duke up 78-75. BC scores at the other end. Goes to the line for the and-one.
BC misses the free throw. Duke with the ball and a point, 1:13 to go.
Moore with a shot-clock buzzer beater. Duke up 3 with 44 seconds left.
BC cuts it to one and Rich Kelly fouls out with 16 points.
BC turns it over, and we have our third replay review in the last minute of playing time.
BC hits a three with 1 second left to cut it to 83-82.
And Duke gets it in to run out the clock. Blue Devils come back from 16 down to win.
