DURHAM – In its final non-conference game of the regular season, No. 15 Duke defeated Maryland Eastern Shore, 82-55, Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils started five freshmen for the first time in program history and were led by rookies Tyrese Proctor and Dariq Whitehead,who each finished with 15 points. Dereck Lively II snagged nine rebounds, a game-high, to set a new career best on the boards.
Freshman Kyle Filipowski scored 14 points and pulled down seven boards as Duke (10-2) out-rebounded UMES (3-7), 40-22. The balanced Blue Devils saw 11 different players score in the game as Duke stretched its winning streak to four and remained unblemished at Cameron Indoor Stadium this season (7-0).
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Lively scored the first two baskets for Duke, including his 17th dunk of the season, giving Duke a 4-2 lead at the first media timeout.
- A three-pointer by Jaylen Blakes opened up Duke’s advantage, 11-2, and forced a timeout by the visitors with 13:09 remaining in the first half.
- A step-back three-pointer by Jaden Schutt at the 7:48 mark gave the Blue Devils their largest lead of the game so far, 23-9.
- Filipowski ended the half with a breakaway dunk, sending the Blue Devils into the break with a 39-21 lead.
- Filipowski scored 12 of Duke’s final 14 points of the first half over the final 5:28.
- The first six baskets of the second half were scored by six different Blue Devils, as Duke took a 54-34 lead into the under-12 media timeout.
- Duke’s defense held Maryland Eastern Shore without a field goal over four minutes and went on an 10-0 run to establish a 66-36 lead.
- Whitehead reached double figures for the first time in his Duke career after a layup with 7:02 on the clock.
GAME NOTES
- The game was the first in the series versus Maryland Eastern Shore.
- UMES became the 10th Duke opponent in 12 games this season to score less than 70 points.
- Duke has held all 12 opponents this season to below their season scoring average – UMES came in averaging 62.1 points.
- Duke out-rebounded UMES, 42-20 – marking the 10th time in 12 games this season with a rebounding advantage and eighth time with a double-digit advantage. The advantage for Duke in offensive rebounds was 14-5.
- Thirteen Duke players saw action in the game – 11 scored and 10 had at least one rebound.
- Duke opened the second half with eight different Blue Devils scoring the team’s first 17 points – Duke’s first six field goals of the second half came from six different players.
- Duke has now connected on at least one three-point field goal in 1,165 consecutive games – the nation’s second longest active streak.
- Junior Jeremy Roach did not play in the game (toe injury) and Duke started five freshmen. It marked the first time in Duke’s history the Blue Devils featured a starting lineup with five freshmen.
- Duke started four freshmen on multiple occasions in 1982-83, 2017-18 and 2018-19, but never five.
- It’s the first time since the 2017-18 season that an ACC team started a lineup with all freshmen – that year Pitt did on multiple occasions.
- Whitehead scored a career-high 15 points in a career-high 25 minutes. He has set career highs in points and minutes in each of his last two games – had eight points in 21 minutes in Tuesday’s win over Iowa.
- Proctor scored 15 points – one shy of his career high. Over Duke’s last five games, Proctor is averaging 12.0 points (averaged 5.4 over Duke’s first seven).
- Filipowski has scored in double-digit points in every game this season – only Blue Devil to do so.Filipowski had a team-high three steals and was the team’s second leading rebounder with seven.
- Filipowski has 13 steals over Duke’s last six games (2.2 per game).
- Lively II set career highs in rebounds (nine) and blocked shots (five). He also scored eight points in 25 minutes.
- Four of Lively’s five blocked shots came in the first half.
- Schutt played a career-high 18 minutes with career highs in points (nine and rebounds (five). He was 3-of-3 from three-point range and also had an assist.
QUOTES
- “For me, I’m proud we’re learning what it takes to win. The talent has been there, the unselfishness has been there. Now it’s the plays, the loose balls, the talking on defense, how to work to get open. All the little details; they’re embracing what they’re seeing and I think their confidence is improving, and our confidence is growing. We have a long way to go and a lot to work on, but I do feel we’re night and day already from who we were to start the year until right now.” — head coach Jon Scheyer
- “Jeremy’s a big key for us. Obviously, him being out, it sucks for us, but we just wanted to fight for our brother. I thought the main thing for our starting group tonight was just being vocal, everyone being on the same page, getting stops, and just pushing our offense from our defense.” — freshman Tyrese Proctor on Roach’s absence
NEXT GAME
- Duke is off until Tuesday, Dec. 20 at Wake Forest. The game tips at 6:30 p.m. ET on ACC Network.
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