2001 Duke at Maryland
Re-watch #7 - The Duke Basketball Project
Duke at Maryland
ACC Regular Season
Cole Field House - College Park, MD
January 27, 2001
Where I was
Much like re-watch #3, I watched this game in my bedroom at my parents house. I was a junior in high school, staying home on a Saturday night in order to watch the Blue Devils and to start packing a few items for (nerd alert) the leadership conference I would be attending the following week in Washington D.C. Thankfully I went though, because I met my future wife there. I also have a Duke basketball story from that week but I’ll share that one another time.
Why this game
For obvious reasons, the “Miracle Minute” was one of the first games I added to my re-watch list. A subscriber requested one of the next re-watches to be a game from the 2001 team and I had also not yet re-watched a road game, so I decided on this classic from College Park.
Storylines
Duke came in ranked #2 in the country - its only loss so far was to Stanford by a single point. The Blue Devils had won 22 consecutive ACC road games and 13 of their last 15 games in Cole Field House. Prior to their 22-game road winning streak, can you name the year and opponent of Duke’s last conference loss away from home? See trivia answer below. Maryland was ranked 10th with only one loss in ACC play, and had won in Durham the previous season. Duke led the nation in scoring at 93.7 points per game while Maryland was third at 89.9, so the game was expected to be a track meet.
The Teams
Duke started Shane Battier, Jason Williams, Carlos Boozer, Mike Dunleavy, and Nate James. Chris Duhon and Matt Christensen came in off the bench, and Andre Buckner saw brief action as well. The 3-point shot is obviously a big component of today’s game but I want to point out this Duke team was way ahead of the curve on shooting the 3. The 2001 team attempted 1,057 shots from beyond the arc, which is just over 27 per game. For context, the 2022 team shot just 841, in a time when the 3-pointer is considered to be much more utilized. Gary Williams’ Terrapins started Juan Dixon, Lonny Baxter, Steve Blake, Terence Morris, and Byron Mouton. Maryland had tremendous depth, bringing in Danny Miller, Tahj Holden, Drew Nicholas, Mike Mardesich, and Chris Wilcox.
The Game
1st Half Summary
This game started off better for Duke than I remembered - Carlos Boozer grabbed an offensive rebound on the first possession for a put back 2 and the Blue Devils forced a shot clock violation on the other end. Mike Dunleavy buried a 3-pointer after Byron Mouton missed on a steal. Then Duke showed its explosiveness as a steal by Boozer in the post led to a deep 3 from Shane Battier. A basket underneath by Nate James would put Duke ahead 12-4, with Terence Morris the only player to score for Maryland so far. Byron Mouton got into the scoring column after having his shot blocked by Matt Christensen, Mouton remained relentless on the offensive glass and put the Terps’ fourth shot attempt of the possession back in. Mouton exemplified the toughness of the entire Maryland team and I loved watching him play. Mike Patrick referred to the following sequence as “racehorse basketball” with the teams flying up and down the floor, including an incredible block by Battier before Tahj Holden later finished under the basket. Duke’s lead was now cut to three at 15-12. Nate James and Juan Dixon traded baseline jumpers before a steal by Dixon gave Maryland its first lead at the 10:07 mark. Mike Dunleavy hit two consecutive 3’s, the second on an assist from Chris Duhon, as Duke attacked Maryland’s full-court press. Steve Blake and Tahj Holden would begin to assert themselves, keying a Maryland run. Blake hit a nice shot at the elbow and Holden scored around the basket in a variety of ways, including a jump hook, a baseline jumper, and a dunk via a nice dime from Blake. Duke could only manage a couple of free throws from Duhon over the next several minutes, while the Terrapins got points from Dixon, Mouton, and Danny Miller. Mike Mardesich’s block led to another great pass from Blake, as he found Mouton in the opposite corner for 3. Duke now faced its largest deficit of the season, down 29-44 with just over 2:00 left in the half. Jason Williams used a high ball screen to find Battier for 3, ending a 7:40 stretch for the Blue Devils without a field goal. Maryland expected to go into the half ahead by 11 but Duke pulled off a miracle with 1.4 seconds left - it wouldn’t be their last.
2nd Half 20:00 - Duke 37 Maryland 46
Duke opened the second half with three straight turnovers but got a steal of their own, leading to an open Nate James in transition. James lost the ball on his way up for the dunk but Dunleavy hustled down the floor and put back the loose ball. After Jason Williams missed a 3 in transition, Carlos Boozer followed up his own miss for a 3-point play. Boozer would have another basket before Juan Dixon hit 2 free throws and then made a play that I think summed up his game in a nutshell. As Jason Williams drove middle, Dixon helped off Duhon, swiped the ball for his 4th steal of the game, and nailed a pull-up transition jumper. Dixon was a menace on defense, ranking 2nd on the ACC’s career steals list, and I felt like he didn’t miss a mid-range jumper as an upperclassman.
2nd Half 15:20 - Duke 45 Maryland 55
Jason Williams continued to have an off night, committing back-to-back turnovers to give him 10 of Duke’s 17 turnovers so far on the night. As I’ve seen him do with other players before, Coach K brought Williams to the bench for a conversation and to give him a chance to settle down. After a Mike Mardesich jump hook, the Blue Devils responded with 4 made free throws before Williams re-entered the game. Terence Morris hit a bank shot off the glass before Williams used a Battier ballscreen to hit a tough driving layup. The next several possessions saw a parade to the foul line - both teams continued to play fast, putting pressure on one another’s transition defense, often leading to fouls. Duke would hit 3 out of 4 from the line, while Maryland converted 5 out of 6, before Tahj Holden showed off his versatility. The big man screened for Blake before receiving a screen from Chris Wilcox - the classic “screen the screener” action gave Holden a look at 3 and he buried it.
2nd Half 10:10 - Duke 58 Maryland 70
Carlos Boozer answered immediately with a shot in the lane and Jason Williams hit another driving layup. Steve Blake continued his stellar night with a runner off the glass before Dunleavy hit a turnaround jumper from the baseline. Lonnie Baxter got his first field goals of the game with a free throw line jumper and a hook shot off the window - Nate James hit a corner 3 in between Baxter’s buckets. Morris’ put back dunk in transition moved the Maryland lead back to double digits.
2nd Half 6:10 - Duke 67 Maryland 78
The Terps kept pushing the pace, with Steve Blake lobbing a pass to Danny Miller for a layup. Boozer answered with a jump hook. Blake used a crossover to hit a pull-up in the lane before Battier hit a tough jumper on the other end.
2nd Half 3:12 - Duke 71 Maryland 82
Juan Dixon banked in a turnaround jumper to extend the Maryland lead to 12. With the clock approaching 2:00, Duke began to pickup in the full-court defensively. Williams’ crossover drive resulted in two free throws and drew the 5th foul on Steve Blake, sending him to the bench with 11 points and 9 assists. Although it barely trimmed the lead, Duke was able to stop the clock by putting Maryland on the free throw line as well as getting to the line themselves. Freshman Drew Nicholas would hit 3 out of 4 free throws and the Terrapin fans would begin the familiar “overrated” chant.
2nd Half 1:33 - Duke 77 Maryland 87
After two Juan Dixon free throws, Nate James hit his second 3 on an assist from Dunleavy. Coach K called timeout and the Blue Devils sent Nicholas back to the line - he missed the first but converted on the second.
2nd Half 1:01 - Duke 80 Maryland 90
Jason Williams wasted no time getting to the basket for a layup before stealing the ball in a trap and immediately hitting a 3. After a Maryland timeout, Andre Buckner fouled Nicholas prior to the ball being inbounded.
2nd Half 0:48 - Duke 85 Maryland 90
Drew Nicholas was shooting 80% from the line on the season, but missed both free throws. Shane Battier set a brush screen in transition and Jason Williams hit a cold-blooded 3 as Mike Patrick let out his trademarked “holy cow.” It wasn’t quite Reggie Miller, but Williams’ 8 points in 20 seconds had now given Duke a chance to win.
2nd Half 0:40 - Duke 88 Maryland 90
After a Maryland timeout, Duke got another steal in the backcourt as James and Battier trapped Juan Dixon. The Blue Devils now had a chance to tie or take the lead. The ball found Dunleavy for a good look at 3 but it didn’t go down. Nate James’ tip went in and out as he was fouled. To add to the chaos, the audio on the broadcast dropped out and James made the first free throw in seemingly total silence. Chris Fowler stepped in from the ESPN studio to apologize for the technical difficulties, let us know James swished the second free throw, and that audio had been re-established.
2nd Half 0:21 - Duke 90 Maryland 90
Maryland held for the final shot, as Drew Nicholas initiated the action with about 6 seconds remaining. He ran a dribble hand-off with Danny Miller towards the near corner and Duke trapped on the sideline. Miller was able to squeeze the ball back to Nicholas, who missed a corner 3 at the buzzer.
Overtime 5:00 - Duke 90 Maryland 90
Juan Dixon’s up and under jump shot missed before Terence Morris committed his 5th foul as Jason Williams spun through the lane. Williams made both free throws and Duke led for the first time since it was 25-24.
Overtime 4:20 - Duke 92 Maryland 90
Lonny Baxter got deep post position and scored over Battier to tie the game back up. Continuing with the theme, Jason Williams attacked Maryland’s paint and found Battier in the near corner. Shane Battier’s 3 swished through but Juan Dixon operated quickly, spinning past Williams for a tough shot in the lane. Dixon was so good on those drives and pull-ups, I was happy he didn’t have the ball at the end of regulation.
Overtime 3:35 - Duke 95 Maryland 94
Jason Williams took a deep 3 using the same top of the key ballscreen action that had sparked the Duke comeback. Williams’ 3 went in and out but Battier was able to steal the ball from Baxter as he turned to go up in the paint on the other end. Danny Miller blocked Dunleavy from behind, resulting in Byron Mouton pushing the ball up. Fortunately, Nate James was able to get back and draw the charge as Mouton barreled into his chest. Battier and Tahj Holden then traded 2 free throws each.
Overtime 1:44 - Duke 97 Maryland 96
Duke had trouble converting on its next possession but Maryland was unable to get the ball back. First, Battier missed everything on a shot from the baseline but it went out off the Terps. Nate James then rebounded a missed 3 from Williams before Battier rebounded his own miss from long range. After three misses in a row, Coach K called timeout.
Overtime 1:13 - Duke 97 Maryland 96
The Blue Devils elected to run some time off before finding Boozer in the post with 7 seconds left on the shot clock. Boozer passed back out to Battier, who missed a 3 and Byron Mouton finally grabbed the ball for Maryland. However, Mouton came down out of bounds. Duke would now get a fifth straight opportunity and a new shot clock.
Overtime 0:39 - Duke 97 Maryland 96
Duke used up more time before Jason Williams attacked with 15 seconds on the shot clock. Williams’ attempt was blocked by Holden but Battier came up with the ball and was fouled going back up.
Overtime 0:16 - Duke 97 Maryland 96
Here is the end of overtime, starting with a replay of Williams’ drive to the hoop. Battier made the first but missed the second. Maryland cleared out the left side of the floor for Juan Dixon, and he was able to get to the rim past Duhon. Waiting for Dixon was the soon to be 3-time National Defensive Player of the Year. Shane Battier blocked the game-tying attempt and Duhon came up with the loose ball. Duhon immediately found Williams, who was able to avoid being fouled and the clock expired, punctuating what Mike Patrick called “the most remarkable comeback I have ever seen.”
Final Score - Duke 98 Maryland 96 (OT)
From the Box Score
Juan Dixon led the Terps with 17 points, while Steve Blake posted 11 points and 9 assists before fouling out. Byron Mouton put up a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds, while Tahj Holden added 14 and 7 off the bench. Battier, Williams, and James all played over 40 minutes and all five Duke starters scored at least 15 points. After his slow start, Jason Williams led the way with 25 points and 5 assists. Shane Battier logged 20 points and 7 rebounds and his roommate Mike Dunleavy added 18 and 8.
Postgame Notes
Coach K remarked after the game “Maryland was great. It looked like they had contributions from everyone. Holden is so good and I love Dixon. They were all good and we feel very fortunate to win.” This was the first in an epic four game season series between Duke and Maryland. The Terps would win in Cameron on Senior Night, before the Blue Devils won the ACC Tournament Semifinal 84-82. The teams met again in the National Semifinal, as Duke advanced to Monday night using the largest comeback in Final Four history. Duke versus Maryland in the early aughts was must-see TV and 2001 was the peak. Of course, we know how Duke’s 2001 season ended, while Maryland and Gary Williams would capture the school’s only National Championship the following year. This video is well done by the Washington Post, recapping those two seasons between Duke and Maryland.
Trivia Answer
February 5, 1998 at North Carolina
Thanks for reading, Go Duke!
Video Sources
Additional Sources