#2 Duke 98
#10 Maryland 96
January 27, 2001
Cole Field House

    For about 39 minutes, Maryland ran a clinic on how to beat Duke.  It started with weathering Duke's initial run and counterpunching.  It continued with being patient while they traded baskets with you.  And then their defensive game plan really kicked into overdrive.  The Terps chose to stop Duke's prolific three point attack by extending their pressure a couple of feet beyond the three point line.  When Duke would try to just drive by, they quickly rotated a man to the ballhandler and slapped at the ball.  This resulted in some fouls, but also caused numerous turnovers.  They rotated in a number of big men to wear down Duke's inside game and absorb foul trouble. And on offense, they made sure to run as much as possible before Duke could  get set up.  It's a scheme that requires a number of great athletes, a lot of  size, and a committed defense, and Maryland had all the tools to pull it off. They weathered and blunted numerous Duke comeback attempts, countering brilliantly with a dazzling transition attack, but could never quite  get out to a dominating lead.  Part of this was because while they managed to stop Jason Williams and Shane Battier, the other Duke starters quietly managed to keep the game within reach.

     But with a bit over a minute left, the Terps led by 12 after going on a mini-run that frustrated Duke after they managed to come within 7.  But that earlier, aggressive defensive scheme that I mentioned kept putting Duke on the foul line, and more importantly, stopping the clock.  So not only was Duke able to score with no time going off the clock, but it allowed them brief but crucial moments of rest after being run up and down the court by the deeper Terps.  With a minute left, some Terp fans started chanting "overrated" at Duke.  The chant didn't last long, nor was it embraced by everyone, but it was heard by the Duke players.  And they took it to heart. More materially, sparkling Terp point guard Steve Blake had dominated Jason the entire game, but fouled out on a borderline hand check--the same kind of foul the Terps had been committing the last several minutes.  And a young player named Drew Nicholas, who had played well in this game in a backup role, was about to be introduced to a world of pain.

    But before I break down the game, I want to mention how crucial this  result was.  A loss would have put Duke behind UNC and Maryland in the standings, thanks to the tie.  And with second-half road games against UVa and Wake Forest looming, it was a road game Duke really couldn't afford to lose.  The Maryland players claimed the game was just another contest to them, though I find it hard to believe that Terence Morris didn't have a burning desire to beat Duke at home once in his career.  But the Terp fans, with their "F*CK DUKE" shirts and chants, thrown batteries and bottles and perpetual inferiority/persecution complex to Duke and UNC, absolutely NEEDED this game.  With just a minute, they were ready to rush the floor and burn down the campus.  What Duke did, essentially, was tear the hearts out of their chests and say "You won't be needing THIS anymore!"

    But let's begin at the beginning.  The first five minutes of the game actually belonged to the Blue Devils.  Carlos started the party with a rebound of a James miss, and Mike kicked in a three.  Duke was playing very aggressive interior defense, with Shane blocking a Baxter shot and then Carlos stealing the ball away from him.  Shane then hit a ridiculous 25' three in transition, no less, and then Nate hit a layup off a rebound to put Duke up 12-4.  The Terps closed to within 12-8, but a Battier three point play, picking up the foul on his longtime rival Terence Morris, gave Duke a solid 15-8 lead.  It was a particularly nice play because Shane took Morris off the dribble, a move that Shane doesn't use all that often.

   Things then started to get a little ugly.  After a couple of quick Duke fouls, Juan Dixon cut the lead to 15-10.  Baxter was all set to hit a hook when Battier flew in to block the shot and hit it off him for a Duke possession.  The Terps slowly crept back into, cutting the lead to 15-13, but Jason went after his own miss and laid it in.  A Nicholas steal and a Mike Mardesich power move tied the game, and for the next three minutes, there was a dazzling back and forth display as the two teams traded baskets.

   Nate hit a short jumper but then had his pocket picked for the second time in the game, and Maryland had their first lead at 21-19.  Mike countered with a three, but Morris came right back with a three point play, his 7th point of the game (the senior all-america candidate would only have 6 the entire rest of the game).  Dunleavy hit another three to put Duke back on top 26-25, but the remarkable Tahj Holden gave the Terps another lead.  After Dunleavy's 7th straight point for Duke on a foul shot, the wheels came off the wagon for the Devils.  The Terps went on an 18-3 run, aided by 5 Duke turnovers, tremendous post defense, and an ultra-aggressive transition game that made Duke huff and puff down the court.  Then something interesting happened, or rather, something that would become interesting later in  the game.  After sitting on the bench for a bit, Jason came back in the game and drew a blocking foul on Blake.  He only hit 1, but it cut the lead to 44-30 with about two minutes left in the half.  But on the next possession, he took a charge from Blake that sent him to the bench for the rest of the half.  On cue, Jason spotted Shane for a three.  Byron Mouton responded with a basket, but Duke scored on a Duhon tip-in with 36.4 seconds left. The Terps ran down the clock, and Holden missed a three as the shot clock expired--but the shot didn't hit the rim.  So Duke was given 1.4 seconds on the clock and the ball under their own basket.

   Great Laettner's ghost!  Mike Dunleavy fired a pass downcourt that skipped ahead of Battier and landed straight into Williams' arms, where he quickly made a scoop shot to cut the halftime deficit to 46-37.  Considering that the Terps were very close to battering Duke into submission, that deficit was just fine.  Dunleavy was the only Devil with a good first half, scoring 10 and grabbing 5 boards.  Battier had 3 turnovers and Williams 5 as only Duke's foul shooting (8-11) and three point shooting (5-13) kept them in it.

   After a bunch of misses by both teams to start the second half, Mike finally tipped in a James miss to bring the Devils within 7.  While Dunleavy was the man who kept Duke close in the first half, it was now Carlos Boozer's turn to step up.  He had a turnaround jumper, a three point play and 2 free throws to keep Duke within 8-10 points in the first five minutes of the half. But 3 turnovers and a couple of missed free throws bit Jason Williams, even as he drew Blake's third foul.  2 Williams turnovers negated some good defense by Duke, and Maryland scrapped their way back to an 11 point lead.  4 straight Duke free throws brought it back down to 58-51, and then Mike and Jason traded baskets with Nicholas and Morris.  Maryland was blunting every Duke attempt to on a run that would bring them back into the game.

   Duke kept scratching and clawing, with Boozer and Dunleavy again scoring some crucial points.  Both scored on short jumpers near the basket, and even Jason was starting to overcome his hideous start to the half with a drive. Jason finally was able to penetrate and dish out to James for a three that cut the lead to 74-67 with eight minutes left.  The game was not yet out of reach despite Maryland's best efforts.  But 6 straight points by the Terps, capitalizing on Duke misses and excellent defense, drove the lead up to 80-67 with just five minutes left.  Duke was going to have to hurry.

   The Devils closed to within 9 thanks to a Boozer turnaround and a short Battier jumper, but Dixon made the margin 12 with just two and a half minutes left.  Then came a fateful play.  Jason was handchecked by Blake for his fourth foul, but made only 1.  But Williams chose not to take the defensive dynamo out of the game, and Blake not only turned the ball over on the next possession, but fouled Williams once again.  Jason swished both, starting to get into a rhythm, but there were under two minutes left and Duke was still down 84-75.  Nicholas hit 2 free throws, but Jason responded with 2 freebies of his own to keep the margin under 10.  After a Dunleavy miss, the Terps hit three out of four from the line to give them a seemingly insurmountable lead with just a bit over a minute left.

   As the fans were chanting "overrated", Mike drove and hit Nate for a  three.  Duhon fouled Nicholas, who only made 1 of 2.  Still, the lead was 10 points with less than a minute left...what could Duke possibly do?  Jason drove and hit a layup, and then Duke threw on a full-court press.  Jase  stole the inbounds from Nicholas and quickly canned a long three.  39 seconds were left.  Andre Buckner fouled Nicholas, who was smiling broadly as he went to the line but whose faced dropped a bit when he missed both  free throws.  Battier got the rebound and set a pick for Jason at the  other end, where Williams buried a three from the wing.  The score was now  90-88 with about 40 seconds left and it was a ballgame once again.

   Nate stole the next pass and dishes to Mike, who missed the three.  Nate had naturally worked his way under the basket by this time, and got the o-board.  He nearly had a three point play, but he instead settled for the pressure-packed foul shots.  Both were swishes.  Duke then came out and played great defense, forcing Nicholas into a bad shot.  

    Overtime!

    After Maryland controlled the tip, Boozer got the rebound and Williams  was hacked by Morris.  This was his fourth foul, which would also become significant.  Jason had long ago left behind his tough start and turnover problems, and sank the 2 foul shots without a second thought.  Baxter then backed in to tie things up, and it was Duke's turn.  The Devils looked exhausted, with three different players approaching the forty minute mark. Jason slowed things down a bit for everyone to rest a little, and then drove and dished to Shane, who hit a three from the corner.  That working margin, however slight, gave Duke a big energy boost.  Dixon hit a runner and then Jason missed a three, giving the Terps a chance at the lead.  Baxter shot, missed, rebounded and then had it stripped by Jason.  Dunleavy had the ball stripped at the other end, giving Maryland another chance to take the lead with over two minutes left.

     But this time, Nate took a charge from Mouton, blunting another Maryland attack.  Shane then drew a foul and swished 2 to put the lead back up to three with under two minutes to go.  Holden went up and got fouled with just 1:44 left and hit both.  Then came an inspired sequence where Duke missed 4 shots but got 3 offensive rebounds, bringing the clock all the way down to forty seconds.  Mouton then turned the ball over, and Duke worked it down a bit and Shane got fouled with 19 seconds left.  He only hit 1, leaving the door open for Maryland, 98-96.  Battier camped out on the left block, waiting for Juan Dixon to drive at him.  Morris had fouled out on the last play, meaning that Dixon was the certain go-to guy on the play. He drove, Battier blocked the shot cleanly, Duhon rebounded and tipped it over to Jason, and a stunned Maryland team let the clock run out.

     My first reaction after the game was simply laughter.  The way Duke got out of its severe jam was nearly absurd.  It also reminded me of a Charles Barkley quote that I've used here from time to time, but none more  appropriate than now.  When he was playing for the Phoenix Suns and they were playing the Houston Rockets in the playoffs, the Suns frequently had 3-1 leads in the series, but the Rockets would rally in the most improbable ways to win the series and the NBA title.  Said Charles of the Rockets: "They won't die.  You have to kill them."  Maryland couldn't quite land the knockout punch, the one devastating run that would render the rest of the game meaningless.  But leaving the door open just a crack, they let Duke break it down.  The overtime was only really close because Duke had so  little energy left.  The Terps looked hollowed-eyed throughout, their belief in victory drained away from them.

     For the rest of the year, there can be no more hostile atmosphere  imaginable.  For the rest of their careers together, no deficit will seem too large, no amount of time remaining too small for Duke to stop competing. When they went down 12, all I wanted them to do was keep competing, keep fighting.  The Devils did that and much, much more.  Sometimes, it's a privilege to watch college basketball. 

         ** Negatives:

 1. Decision-making.  Maryland's defense was so good that Duke was given no breaks whatsoever on sloppy passes, careless ballhandling or out-of-control drives.  The Terps feasted on every Duke mistake, which made Duke tense up and try too hard to force things.   

 2. Transition defense.  Awful, quite frankly.  Duke seemed so stunned to miss on offense that they were slow to get back downcourt, and Maryland burned them repeatedly with a number of brilliant Blake passes. 

 3. Ball movement.  The normally fluid Devils were forced to make their games one-on-one, which played right into Maryland's hands as they were able to apply a lot of ball pressure without worrying as much about Duke burning them.

  ** Positives:

 1. Rebounding.  While the final margin was close to even, Duke had to rally considerably just to get to that point.  And down the stretch and in the overtime, Duke got every important rebound.  The most crucial was Nate's sublime offensive board off Dunleavy's miss.

 2. Foul shooting.  Duke actually shot 75% for the game, and hit them when they really counted.  Shane really bounced back after clanking a couple,  and Nate hit the 2 that sent the game into overtime under the most hostile conditions imaginable.

 3. Heart.  When Duke was getting whipped, I was just hoping that they would continue to compete--I didn't want them to quit when it would seem so easy to do so.  I was happy at the end because they kept playing hard, and was stunned to see them impose their will so completely on Maryland.  While the overtime had its nervous moments, Duke was in control all the way, and it was thanks to the two guys who had had the worst games--Battier and Williams. Instant redemption.

  Player-By-Player:

 ** Boozer: Carlos was manhandled in the first half, but scored 7 of Duke's first 10 points in the second half, keeping Duke within striking range.  He also did a good job on defending Lonnie Baxter and drew several fouls on him. Carlos was active in the passing lanes, cutting in to grab 2 steals.  Other than his 4-5 shooting in the half, his biggest contribution came on the boards, shoring up a major Duke weakness in the first half by grabbing 6. He didn't turn the ball over and stopped Maryland's big men from getting  easy scores.  Carlos also managed to stay out of foul trouble against the Terp legion of big men, and didn't sacrifice his defense in doing it.  While he isn't yet able to dominate games by himself ala Elton Brand, Carlos is learning how to play smarter game-by-game.  We all know about how talented he is physically, but it's now the mental aspect of his game that his truly blossoming.

 ** Battier: After a mediocre 3-8, 3 turnover first half, Shane was really shut down in the second, going only 1-5 and missing 2 foul shots that would have really helped Duke.  But once he got to overtime, he turned on his turbo button and outworked the entire Terp team.  His block on Dixon at the end ranks up there with his greatest individual defensive plays (a block on Harold Jamison back in '98 with seconds left at Clemson was still his best), and his three to give Duke a working margin and foul shots down the stretch were absolutely clutch, especially considering that it looked like it hurt to even raise his arms to shoot.  Throw in a crucial, time-draining offensive board in the OT session and his rebound of Nicholas' missed free throw at the end of regulation were also crucial.  In short, Shane played like a  senior should--forgetting his mistakes and concentrating on the play in front of him.  Shane just moved ahead of Thomas Hill in the all-time scoring annals at Duke and is about to jump ahead of Jeff Capel.

** Dunleavy: Mike helped keep Duke in the game in the first half with his long range shooting and in the second half with his short game.  He rebounded brilliantly throughout and made some magnificent passes, none moreso than the length-of-the-court beauty to Williams at the end of the first half. His 7 straight points in the first half prevented Maryland from running away from Duke early on, and his rebound basket to start the second half gave Duke a bright note they desperately needed.  His pass to James on a drive for a three at the end of the second half sparked the late-game run. Even though Mike didn't make many plays in OT or down the stretch in  regulation, he got Duke to where they were.  

 ** James: Playing at Maryland is always meaningful to Nate.  He's from the DC area, and earned a lot of bad feelings after spurning Maryland for Duke. The Terp fans always reserved their loudest boos for Nate, but that simply inspired him to play his best.  In his last engagement in his home town, he may have saved his most remarkable play for last.  As one of the team's  catalysts, he hit an enormous shot that sparked the miraculous comeback, and then got the utterly crucial rebound and free throws that shocked Cole. Doing all this after a personal slump was all the more remarkable.  In the  first half, Nate did a bit of everything: a rebound basket, a short jumper, a block, a steal and a board.  He amped things up with a 10-point second half, nailing 2 crucial threes and going 4-4 from the line.  While he got out of character a few times and tried driving straight down the teeth of the defense, he made up for it by drawing 2 charges, one of them that wiped out a Mouton drive in OT that would have given Maryland the lead.  This was not a superstar level game, but it was a Glue game supreme.

 ** Williams: It was the best of games, it was the worst of games.  For most of the contest, Jason reverted back to his early freshman year persona, looking jittery out there and trying to do too much by himself.  He didn't respect Blake's ability to cover him and made too many foolhardy forays into the lane without protecting the ball.  His shots were forced and not in any flow with the rest of the offense, and he was even bricking free throws. He was picked again and again by a relentless defense that anticipated his every move.  But this is not the frosh Jason Williams.  This is a mature player who learned what he was doing wrong and corrected it.  And when he worked to foul out Blake, he was suddenly free to do whatever he wanted. And that was exactly what he did--whatever he wanted.  He scored an amazing 18 points in the second half, including 13 of Duke's last 18.  He had 13 points in the last 2:22 alone, and scored 8 points in less than 20 seconds. This kid really hates losing, and despite nearly completely flaking out in the second half with several consecutive turnovers, he calmed down and let the game come to him.  Instead of trying to drive around Blake, he went right at him, forcing the slower guard to foul him.  Of course, Blake would have been better off just to let him go, but that's how Maryland had been playing defense all game.  They never went zone to hide foul trouble, and Williams chose to leave Blake in after his fourth foul.  The kamikaze strategy very nearly worked, but Williams was able to exploit its one weakness, the propensity for picking up fouls.  His first 2 free throws were big in OT, making up for missing 2 of 3 after getting fouled taking a three.  He couldn't hit a shot otherwise, but wisely dribbled out the clock at the end.  This game will serve as an instructional guide for how not to deal with a pressure defense and an inspiration when the odds are against the team.    

 ** Duhon: Chris' overall numbers don't look all that impressive for this game.  Just 4 points and an assist, with 2 turnovers as a significant  negative.  But what he did for the team was crucial: he calmly ran things while Jason Williams got his head together on the bench.  Chris actually fired up a few shots early on, but stopped shooting thereafter.  He did get a big rebound at the end of the half that helped trim the Maryland lead and had an assist to Dunleavy for a three.  Still, Duke could have used some offense out of Chris when the rest of the team was struggling.  He has a ways to go in his offensive development.  

 ** Christensen: The "monster" got a huge block, but also picked up a couple of quick fouls.  Still, he provided just enough rest for Boozer to let Carlos have a big second half and kept him out of foul trouble.  Every one of those 8 minutes was crucial. 

 ** Buckner: Andre came in to foul Drew Nicholas, which ended up helping Duke quite a bit.

  ** Next Game: A showdown in Cameron between two teams that are 7-0 in the conference: Duke and UNC.  Carolina is playing very well right now, winning by somewhat slim margins but weathering storms that would have buried them last year.  The key is steady point guard Ron Curry, who is providing the ballhandling and defense that the team desperately needed.  This has freed up Joe Forte from his temporary ballhandling duties and allowed him to  become a dominant scorer and one of the best players in the country.  The Heels have a legion of big men with different talents.  Brendan Haywood is the occasionally dominant monster in the middle, impossible to guard once he has the ball on the low block and a solid shotblocker.  Then there's the glacially slow Kris Lang, he of the lethal jump hook.  Again, once he has the ball on the blocks he's very difficult to guard.  The X-factor is ultra-muscular part-time hoopster Julius Peppers, who provides quickness and power on the boards, especially the offensive boards.  Throw in solid  all-purpose forward Jason Capel, shooting specialist Max Owens and solid frosh guards Brian Morrison and Adam Boone, and the Heels have a deep,  versatile team.  The key to beating them is ball pressure.  Staying in the passing lanes and preventing their big men from getting the ball close in is crucial.  Keeping the ball out of Forte's hands as much as possible is also advisable.  On offense, Boozer must be able to score some down low, even if it's just drawing contact and getting fouled.  He didn't play that well against Haywood last year, so we must see if he's learned how to  deal with him better this year.  Duke will get a lot of opportunities to  shoot threes as UNC doesn't use a ton of pressure on offense, though they will occasionally press and use half-court traps.  The key is to be patient and for Duke to use their superior front court quickness to take UNC off the dribble and open up some space for a mid-range game.    

Reported by Rob Clough, tmc@duke.edu 

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