Duke Looks To Bounce Back As They Host Notre Dame For Big Monday

Duke who fell to Virginia on Saturday will look to bounce back as they host Notre Dame for a Big Monday matchup  who is coached by Mike Brey who is in his eighteenth season of leading the program in South Bend.

Duke and Notre Dame continue ESPN’s Big Monday schedule when the ACC rivals meet at Cameron Indoor Stadium for the 30th time.

• Duke is the only team ranked among the NCAA’s top 10 in scoring (90.3; t-1st), rebounds (43.1; 2nd) and assists (19.0; 3rd). The Blue Devils are also fourth nationally in rebound margin (+10.5), ninth in field goal percentage (.509) and eight in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6).
• Marvin Bagley III leads the ACC in scoring (22.0) and rebounding (11.6) and is second in the NCAA in double-doubles (17). Trevon Duval leads the ACC in assists (6.1), while Grayson Allen is third in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.53) and Gary Trent, Jr. is fourth in the ACC in three-point field goal percentage (.422).
• Freshman Wendell Carter, Jr. has 10 double-doubles this season, including one in two straight and four of his last five games. He’s led Duke on the boards in four straight.
• Notre Dame is 13-8 this season and 3-5 in the ACC. The injury-plagued Fighting Irish are on a five-game slide after opening conference play 3-0.
• Martinas Geben ranks second in the ACC in rebounds per conference game (10.6) and leads the league in offensive rebounds per game (4.75) in ACC games.
• T.J. Gibbs poured in a career-high 27 points in Notre Dame’s 80-75 loss at Virginia Tech on Saturday. Gibbs played all 40 minutes and is now one of two ACC players averaging more than 40 minutes played in league competition.
• The Blue Devils are 22-7 all-time versus the Fighting Irish and have won two straight, including a 75-69 win in last season’s ACC Tournament championship game in Brooklyn. Jayson Tatum paced Duke in the win with 19 points as Duke earned its 11th tournament crown since 1997. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211694748&DB_OEM_ID=4200

Duke comes into their game with Notre Dame with a record of 18-3 6-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference  haven lost their previous game to Virginia at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Before Ty Jerome hit the shot that effectively beat No. 4 Duke, the Virginia guard stole the ball. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211694525

It figures. For the second-ranked Cavaliers, even their daggers trace back to that punishing defense. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211694525

Virginia beat the Blue Devils 65-63 on Saturday after Jerome hit a critical 3-pointer with 37.6 seconds to play. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211694525

Kyle Guy scored 17 points and hit two free throws with 6.1 seconds left, Jerome finished with 13 points and Devon Hall had 14 points to help the Cavaliers (20-1, 9-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) win their 12th straight and their first at Cameron Indoor Stadium since 1995."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211694525

"They find ways," coach Tony Bennett said. "They're a team that's a joy to coach because they're pretty clear who they are, and it doesn't matter who's hitting the shots." "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211694525

The nation's stingiest defense held the top offense in Division I to more than 28 points below its average of 91.7 points. Virginia, which entered allowing an average of 51.6 points, held the freshmen-dominated Blue Devils 15 points below their previous season-low point total. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211694525

"I was a freshman once, and you're not really prepared for this type of pressure that we put on the ball and our defense," Guy said."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211694525

Marvin Bagley III had 30 points and 14 rebounds, while Wendell Carter Jr. had 14 points and 15 rebounds for the Blue Devils (18-3, 6-3)."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211694525

Jerome started the key sequence by stealing freshman Trevon Duval's long pass in the Duke frontcourt, then ended it with a 3 with the shot clock winding down that put Virginia up 63-58. Both he and Guy made things tense by missing the front ends of one-and-ones in the final minute."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211694525

Bagley swished a deep 3 with 7.4 seconds remaining before Duke fouled Guy again, and this time he hit both attempts to make it 65-61 and effectively seal it. Bagley added a layup at the buzzer. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211694525

BIG PICTURE

Virginia: The Cavaliers more than justified their No. 2 ranking and their status as the ACC's team to beat by coming into Cameron and winning for the first time in more than two decades. This certainly counts as the marquee road victory their resume perhaps may have lacked, and Bennett says his team's lone loss -- last month at No. 7 West Virginia -- helped in preparing for this one. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211694525

"That's why we play those West Virginia games," Bennett said. "A West Virginia-type game, not finishing out, I think that all adds to a successful element today." "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211694525

Duke: The Blue Devils leaned heavily on their starters -- using zero substitutes in the second half and playing two reserves, Javin Delaurier and Alex O'Connell, for a total of six minutes all day. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211694525

"If we want to win something really big, your best players have to play a lot of minutes," coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "And I think that's what the regular season's about, is preparing for -- hopefully, we're in it in March. So I think we learned a lot." "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211694525

POLL IMPLICATIONS

The Blue Devils' failure to hold serve on their home court figures to cost them at least a couple of spots in the rankings, though there's certainly no shame in losing a top-five matchup that comes down to the final minute. As for the Cavaliers, well, they can't climb too much higher than No. 2 but might have earned a few more first-place votes. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211694525

KEY STATS

Duke had 16 turnovers to Virginia's five, with the Cavaliers turning those miscues into 14 points while the Blue Devils managed just four points off the ones they forced. ... Duke held a 44-31 rebounding advantage, but Virginia wound up with 12 second-chance points to the Blue Devils' 10. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211694525

KEY STRETCH

Virginia led by 13 early in the second half before Duke switched to a 2/3 zone defense and reeled off a 19-4 run to tighten the game back up. The Cavaliers had no trouble creating open shots against the zone but struggled to make anything during the 8-minute stretch in which the Blue Devils got back in the game. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211694525

"I kept trying to tell our guys in the timeout, if we could just make a look, it'll maybe open it up a little bit," Bennett said. "And just keep guarding your heart out." "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211694525

Notre Dame  comes into their game with Duke with a record of 13-8 and 3-5 in the ACC "according to .http://www.und.com/sports/m-baskbl/sched/nd-m-baskbl-sched.html and like Duke they lost on their home court Saturday at Purcell Pavilion.

Notre Dame (13-8, 3-5 ACC) trailed by as many as 15 points in the second half against Virginia Tech (15-6, 4-4 ACC) before making a valiant comeback to cut the lead to two points with less than two minutes to play. However, the Hokies did just enough down the stretch to escape with an 80-75 victory. "according to http://www.und.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/012718aaa.html

The sophomore duo of T.J. Gibbs and John Mooney stepped up big in primetime, as Gibbs notched a career-high 27 points and Mooney also turned in a personal-best 15 points to lead the Irish offense. Two other Notre Dame players finished in double figures in the scoring column, as Rex Pflueger had 15 points and Martinas Geben added 10. "according to http://www.und.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/012718aaa.html

HOW IT HAPPENED

Notre Dame and Virginia Tech battled in the first half and the Hokies took a seven-point advantage into the halftime break with the score 34-27. The visitors held a lead between five and 10 points for the majority of the first 20 minutes. The play of the first frame came just before the halftime buzzer, as Gibbs sunk a shot from halfcourt to make it a seven-point game. "according to http://www.und.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/012718aaa.html

Virginia Tech increased its lead to 14 at 64-50 with just over 10:30 to go in regulation but Notre Dame responded emphatically. The Irish answered with an 8-0 run, capped by a three-pointer from Gibbs to send the sold-out Purcell Pavilion crowd into a frenzy and cut the Hokies' lead to just six points. Notre Dame then made it a one-possession game after four free-throws from Gibbs made the score 65-62 with a little less than seven minutes to play. "according to http://www.und.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/012718aaa.html

The two sides traded baskets and the Irish managed to trim the lead to two points at 74-72 with 1:34 remaining. Unfortunately for Notre Dame, the Hokies made enough plays down the stretch to come away with an 80-75 victory. "according to http://www.und.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/012718aaa.html

PLAYER OF THE GAME

Gibbs turned in the best game of his career from a scoring perspective, pouring in a career-high 27 points on Saturday night. The sophomore was exceptional in the second half, notching 19 points, going 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. Gibbs finished a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line and also added five assists, two rebounds and a steal. "according to http://www.und.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/012718aaa.html

NOTRE DAME STAT OF THE NIGHT

The Irish shot 16-of-31 from the floor in the second stanza, including a 6-for-12 effort from three-point range. "according to http://www.und.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/012718aaa.html

NOTES OF THE GAME

• Notre Dame has now grabbed more rebounds than the opposition in seven of its eight ACC games this season after outrebounding the Hokies 39-28.
• For the fifth time in eight conference games, the Irish outrebounded their opponent by double digits.
• The Irish knocked down 12 shots from beyond the arc, marking the eighth time this season the team has connected on at least 10 three-pointers.
• With 27 points, Gibbs finished with 20-plus points for the sixth time during his sophomore campaign.
• Pflueger finished with 15 points and has now tallied double-digit points in 10 games this season.
• Mooney recorded his first career double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds on Saturday.
• Mooney grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds, marking the first double-digit rebounding performance of his career.
• Mooney's 15-point performance marks the third time this season that he has finished with 10-plus points.
• For the 12th time this season Geben finished in double figures in the scoring column, finishing with 10 points against the Hokies.

With Bonzie Colson, Matt Farrell and D.J. Harvey out with injuries, the Irish have used seven different starting lineups through their first eight ACC contests."according to http://www.und.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/012718aaa.html

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