MENS BASKETBALL
Duke 73, Virginia 48
AARON BEARD
ASSOCIATED PRESS
DURHAM, N.C. - Kyle Filipowski scored 21 points and No. 10 Duke shot 59% before halftime to build a huge lead on the way to beating Virginia 73-48.
Tyrese Proctor added 15 points for the Blue Devils (23-6, 14-4 ACC), who stayed near the top of the league race primarily on the strength of a dominant first half. That included the 7-foot Filipowski outscoring Virginia through the opening 15 minutes as Duke rolled to a 25-point lead before halftime and owned the interior by finishing with 44 points in the paint.
The Blue Devils stayed on the attack early, playing with crisp energy to move the ball or cut their way for feeds in the paint. There was also one sequence that had both Filipowski and freshman TJ Power diving for a loose ball to start a break that ended with Sean Stewart’s dunk.
Filipowski made 9 of 14 shots, the highlight being his steal near midcourt on an inbounds pass that led to him running out for a windmill dunk that had Cameron Indoor Stadium erupt. Filipowski ran back down the court sporting a big smile, and the Blue Devils led 35-13 for a drama-free rest of the evening.
Reece Beekman had 18 points and Isaac McKneely added 12 points for the Cavaliers (21-9, 12-7), who had been sliding in what is now suddenly turning into a steep fall. The Cavaliers have lost four of six. They shot just 30.9%, including making 5 of 17 3-pointers.
BIG PICTURE
Virginia: The Cavaliers appeared to have figured some things out when they won eight straight games to return to the AP Top 25 on Feb. 12, but things have taken a wrong turn. Those recent struggles now include four games with scoring outputs in the 40s.
Duke: The Blue Devils have been on the ascent since early December with 17 wins in 20 games, and last weekend’s loss at Wake Forest standing as their only setback in the past month. Duke is adjusting its rotation with freshman Caleb Foster out due to a lower-body injury — he’s sporting a boot on his right foot — but had no trouble staying right behind No. 9 North Carolina in the ACC standings.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
March 2, 2024
