Duke showed up to play in a major way. Duke led 8-2 after just over six and half minutes of play and never looked back. Mark Williams came off the bench and again made a massive impact. Joey Baker got into the action with a three pointer that gave Duke a 17-5 lead at the 9:55 mark of the first half.
After building this 12 point lead, the closest Clemson would get for the rest of the half was a nine point deficit. The Blue Devils were completely in control for the duration of the half. Duke continued to steadily build their lead and went into the half with a comfortable 19 point lead. It was a total team effort for Duke, with seven different players scoring in the half.
The second half was more of the same. Duke started the half on an 11-0 run and cruised to the blowout win for the entire half. Duke spent much of the half with at least a 25 point lead and were getting contributions from multiple players There was never any doubt in the second half. Duke was in need of a game like this.
Five Observations
FT disparity in Duke’s favor
In the first half, Duke attempted 11 free throws compared to just four for Clemson. The game ended with Duke attempting 17 free throws and Clemson attempting 11, with two of those being inconsequential attempts coming with 10 seconds left in the game. Going into this game, Duke had attempted just 147 free throws on the season compared to 207 attempts for opponents. It was refreshing to see Duke controlling the game from a free throw perspective.
Balanced attack
Seven different players scored for Duke in the first half. Duke scored an impressive 41 first half points and that happened with no player scoring more than eight points. The balanced attack continued in the second half. Duke ran away with the game, and it was not on the back of one or two players. Contributions were pouring in from everywhere. Duke ended the game with five players scoring in double digits, with Jalen Johnson finishing just short of double digits at nine points.
Mark Williams has officially arrived
For the second consecutive game, Mark Williams was excellent off the bench. His impact has been immeasurable. He is getting more comfortable at the college level and has established himself as a key piece moving forward. He finished with a season high 11 points.
Duke showed a “killer instinct”
Already leading by 19 at halftime, they started the second half on a 11-0 run, completely erasing any hope Clemson had at a potential comeback. This is a very important development for this team. Rather than quickly giving away a lead like they have been prone to do, they extended their lead and blew the game out of reach. This was absolutely a sign of growth for this team.
Ball movement
The ball movement for Duke was as good as it has been all season. The team was constantly making the extra pass and finding the open man. As a team, Duke assisted on 20 of their 28 made field goals, an impressive 71% assist rate.
Player of the game: Mark Williams
Williams finished with an impressive 11 points and five rebounds in just 14 minutes. He also blocked two shots and impacted other attempts with his defensive presence alone. He was one of several Blue Devils to have an impressive performance.