Duke Looks To Rebound As They Host Evansville

Duke who has not taken  the court against an opponent in eleven days will return to action when they host Evansville who is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference Wednesday.

With five players averaging double-figure points, led by freshman Marvin Bagley III’s 21.3 ppg, Duke is both the nation’s second-best scoring (93.3 ppg) and rebounding (45.4 rpg) team. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211690244&DB_OEM_ID=4200

• Bagley is second in the ACC in scoring (21.3), first in rebounding (11.3) and second nationally with 10 double-doubles. He has a double-double in seven straight games.
• With 1,630 career points, senior Grayson Allen is 25th on Duke’s career list, and 12th among active NCAA players in career scoring. Allen is the ACC’s active scoring leader.
• Wednesday’s game marks the Blue Devils’ final opportunity this season to extend their streak of 138 consecutive non-conference home wins. It is the nation’s longest active streak.
• Evansville enters Wednesday’s contest with a 10-2 overall record and is riding a five-game winning streak.
• The Purple Aces lead the nation in 3-point shooting percentage, hitting 49.4% of their attempts.
• Redshirt senior Blake Simmons is third on the team in scoring (12.3 ppg), but he has scored in double figures in five straight games as leading scorer Ryan Taylor (21.3 ppg) misses’ times with an injury.
• It will be the first all-time meeting between Duke and Evansville. Duke is 8-3 against Missouri Valley Conference teams and has won six straight meetings. The last came in December 2010 when Andre Dawkins’ 28 points led the Blue Devils to an 83-48 home win over Bradley. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211690244&DB_OEM_ID=4200

Coming into their game with Evansville  Duke has a record of 11-1 "according to http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/150/duke-blue-devils with their lone loss coming at Boston College on December 9th when they opened Atlantic Coast Conference play where their defense was horrendous.

Ky Bowman finished with 30 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists to help Boston College beat top-ranked Duke 89-84 on Saturday and send the Blue Devils to their first loss of the season."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211689120

Jordan Chatman scored 22 for BC (7-3, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), hitting four straight free throws in the final 16 seconds. The Eagles have won their last three games against the No. 1 team in The Associated Press Top 25. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211689120

Gary Trent Jr. scored 25 for Duke (11-1, 0-1 ACC). "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211689120

Duke erased a 10-point deficit in the second half and led 79-75 with 3:30 to play. But Boston College scored 12 of the next 14 points, getting a pair of 3-pointers from Robinson. Duke's Trevon Duvall drove to the basket to make it 83-81 with 31 seconds left, but then he was called for an intentional foul on Chatman as BC tried to dribble out the clock. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211689120

Chatman made both foul shots, and then with BC retaining possession he was fouled again and made two more. A 3-pointer by Trent made it 87-84, but then Jerome Robinson was sent to the line and hit his free throws with 6 seconds left to ice it. "according tohttp://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211689120

After Trent's 3-pointer in the final seconds bounced off the rim, the crowd spilled onto the court to celebrate the biggest win yet for BC coach Jim Christian, whose teams finished last in the ACC in each of the past two seasons."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211689120

Despite the first snowstorm of the winter in Boston, a full house of 8,606 filled the Conte Forum to see the top-ranked Blue Devils -- the first sellout in Chestnut Hill since a game against ninth-ranked North Carolina last Jan. 21. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211689120

Duke led 36-35 with four minutes left in the first half before BC scored 13 of the next 16 points, getting back-to-back 3-pointers from Chatman and a fast-break layup from Bowman to open a nine-point lead with 23 seconds before the break. A pair of free throws cut it to 48-41 before Bowman's 3 at the buzzer rimmed out. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211689120

Chatman hit another 3 to open the second half and give BC its biggest lead of the game. It was 53-43 when Allen and Bagley hit back-to-back 3-pointers during 15-5 run to tie it. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211689120

BIG PICTURE

Duke: The Blue Devils have spent 134 weeks at No. 1 -- tied with UCLA for the most in in the history of the AP poll. A win on Saturday would certainly have broken the record. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211689120

Boston College: The Eagles are 4-5 all-time against No. 1 teams in the AP poll. They had won their last two, beating North Carolina in 2009 and Syracuse in 2014. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211689120

MILESTONES

It was the 3,000th game for the Duke basketball program. Coach Mike Krzyzewski had been going for his 500th win away from Cameron Indoor Stadium, and his 400th regular-season ACC win. Duke had been 20-2 against BC all-time, and 16-1 in ACC play, with the other loss coming in Boston in 2009. Since then, the Blue Devils have beaten the Eagles 11 times in a row. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211689120

ALLEN'S EYE

Allen sustained a bruise on his right eye late in the first half. He missed seven of his first nine shots and finished with 14 points on 5-for-20 shooting, making one of nine 3-point shots. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211689120

HAWKINS GROUNDED

Boston College played its first game without Deontae "Teddy" Hawkins, who injured his knee and is out for the remainder of the season. A graduate transfer from Illinois State who attended the game on crutches, Hawkins had been BC's top rebounder and third-leading scorer. "according tohttp://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211689120

As for Evansville they have a record of 10-2 and unlike Duke come into this game haven won their last game against Midway.

Freshman Noah Frederking set a career-high with 19 points to help the University of Evansville men's basketball team take a 79-52 victory against Midway on Sunday afternoon inside the Ford Center. "according to http://gopurpleaces.com/news/2017/12/17/mens-basketball-second-half-surge-leads-ue-to-79-52-win-over-midway.aspx
 
Frederking knocked down 6 of his 12 attempts along with three triples to lead all scorers in the contest.  It surpassed his previous scoring mark of 14, which came at Bowling Green earlier this month.  Just behind Frederking was senior Blake Simmons who hit double digits for the fifth game in a row for the Purple Aces (10-2).  Simmons finished with 18.  A day after setting his career scoring mark, K.J. Riley had the first double-double of his career, notching 15 points and 12 rebounds.  He also dished out seven assists. "according to http://gopurpleaces.com/news/2017/12/17/mens-basketball-second-half-surge-leads-ue-to-79-52-win-over-midway.aspx
 
"I let the game come to me today," Frederking explained.  "I thought we played a good game in the second half.  We came out slow in first half, but picked it up in the second half."Box Score (PDF)Pacing Midway (4-8) was Kwon Evans, who had 14 points. "according to http://gopurpleaces.com/news/2017/12/17/mens-basketball-second-half-surge-leads-ue-to-79-52-win-over-midway.aspx
 
"Give Midway a lot of credit.  They were the most aggressive team for most of the first half," Aces head coach Marty Simmons said.  "Our guys adjusted at halftime and came out in the second half playing a faster pace and really played better in all areas." "according to http://gopurpleaces.com/news/2017/12/17/mens-basketball-second-half-surge-leads-ue-to-79-52-win-over-midway.aspx
 
Midway showed early on that they were going to put up a fight as they scored the first five points of the game including a Bryson Harris 3-pointer.  A basket by Dainius Chatkevicius got the Aces on the board at the 18:08 mark, but the Eagles' hot shooting continued as a 6-8 start from the field gave them a 15-6 lead less than five minutes in. "according to http://gopurpleaces.com/news/2017/12/17/mens-basketball-second-half-surge-leads-ue-to-79-52-win-over-midway.aspx
 
Blake Simmons helped UE make its way back as he posted six Evansville points in a row before a jumper by Saturday's star - K.J. Riley - cut the Midway advantage to three at 19-16.  Freshman Noah Frederking knocked down his first triple of the day just past the midway point of the half to tie it up for the first time at 21-21.  Following an Eagles miss, Simmons converted a triple of his own to give UE its first lead at 24-21. "according to http://gopurpleaces.com/news/2017/12/17/mens-basketball-second-half-surge-leads-ue-to-79-52-win-over-midway.aspx
 
On the next possession, Midway tied it right back on a Brandon Johnson trey as the Eagles had it tied or stayed within a possession until the final seconds of the half.  That is when a pair of free throws by Riley sent the Aces into the break with a 38-33 lead.  Simmons had 11 in the half. "according to http://gopurpleaces.com/news/2017/12/17/mens-basketball-second-half-surge-leads-ue-to-79-52-win-over-midway.aspx
 
After allowing the Eagles to shoot 50% in the opening stanza, the Aces defense clamped down in the final 20 minutes.  UE held Midway to just 21.4% shooting while outscoring them by a 41-19 tally.  A triple by Noah Frederking at the 17:21 mark gave the Aces their first double figure lead at 45-35.  From there, the lead reached its highest point in the final minute with the 27-point victory – 79-52. "according to http://gopurpleaces.com/news/2017/12/17/mens-basketball-second-half-surge-leads-ue-to-79-52-win-over-midway.aspx
 
Evansville posted a 45-27 mark in rebounding while the offense stood strong, shooting 48.1%.  The outside shooting for the Aces continued at a torrid pace as the squad went 5-of-9 from beyond the arc. "according to http://gopurpleaces.com/news/2017/12/17/mens-basketball-second-half-surge-leads-ue-to-79-52-win-over-midway.aspx
 
Today's win marked the 29th-consecutive home non-conference win for the Aces.  It is one of the ten longest streaks in the nation.  "according to http://gopurpleaces.com/news/2017/12/17/mens-basketball-second-half-surge-leads-ue-to-79-52-win-over-midway.aspx

Tip-off is set for 7:00pm from Cameron Indoor Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN2. "according to http://www.goduke.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=4200&SPID=1845&SPSID=22726