Duke at Virginia Tech: Gameday Open Thread
No. 10 Duke opens its ACC season with a game at Virginia Tech.
While the rest of the conference opened the season with a conference game, the Blue Devils had a bye in the schedule to open the year. Not that Duke would have considered it an off week, since it used the date to play then No. 3 Kansas in the Champions Classic.
Since 2016, the Hokies have a 3-2 advantage over Duke, including winning the last three games in Blacksburg. This is the lowest Duke has been ranked when heading to Tech since the Hokies joined the ACC in 2004.
Duke, who has been up and down this season, hopes to build on the momentum from the win at No. 11 Michigan State earlier this week. The Blue Devils at least hope to avoid Virginia Tech’s fate from last week. After upsetting the Spartans in Maui, the Hokies lost each of the next two days and enter the game on a two-game skid.
The Hokies start four guards and have the second-best three-point shooting percentage in the country. Duke has struggled against similar teams all year, including its one-point loss in the exhibition game opener against NW Missouri State.
While Duke is young, Tech is younger. The Hokies have had 62.7 percent of its minutes played by freshmen this season, sixth most in the country and second among power conference teams.
Surprising news: Cassius Stanley returns to the floor. Expected to be out until Christmas, he’s in the starting lineup.
Tre Jones, Vernon Carey, Jack White, Matthew Hurt are the other starters. Wendell Moore, who has struggled, will come off the bench
Both the Raleigh beat writer and ESPN’s announcing team said Stanley was “making good progress” Tuesday at MSU. No indication from team that his return would be moved up 19 plus days
Duke struggling with its shot early. Tech can’t miss. Hokies up 15-8 at the first break
First segment went a long time with no break so it’s not long to the under 12. VT hitting 10 of 14, Duke 5 of 13. VT up 22-13
Threes beginning to fall for Duke. Blue Devils cut the score to 30-25 at the under 8, which occurred 50 seconds before the under 4 is scheduled. Very few dead balls in this first half.
Hurt gets a layup to cut it to 30-27 and we’re at the under four
Jones hits a three. Carey with a steal and coast to coast dunk. Suddenly it’s a one point Gabe with two minutes to half.
Tre Jones hits a runner right before half and we hit the break with Tech up 41-38.
Carey has 10 points, 5 boards. Hurt has 8. Jordan Goldwire has 6 off the bench. Stanley with no points but 2 assists in 7 minutes
After a big shooting disparity early, things evened out. Tech is at 52.9, Duke 45.5. Duke getting outrebounded and only has two offensive boards
Tech scores the first four and Duke takes a quick time out.
Duke withstands the early hit. At the under 16, it’s 47-46 Tech
Duke with back to back buckets and we got the u set 12 after another short segment of play. Duke with its first lead since 3-2
Jack White drives and dunks. Then Wendell Moore gets back to back hoops. Duke suddenly up seven at the under eight.
Blue Devils have hit 5 of their last 6. Currently on a 6-0 run
You don’t see many flagrant off ball offensive fouls but VT’s Nolley picked one up. Two FTs and a jumper later, the lead is 14.
At the under 4 it’s 73-57. Run is 11-0. Duke is unstoppable away from Cameron
in less positive news, pretty sure Stanley has not played this half
and it’s over. Duke wraps up an impressive pair of road wins with a 77-63 win
