DBR Newsletter #96
at Pittsburgh
For the best experience, I recommend reading articles in a web browser or via the Substack app. Duke Basketball Reference is not affiliated with Duke Athletics or Duke University.
Key Stats
Total Possessions: 61
Duke Pts/Possession: 1.14 ppp
Pitt Pts/Possession: 0.88 ppp
Duke eFG%: 63.7%
Pitt eFG%: 47.2%
Duke 3P Pts/Shot: 1.17 pps
Pitt 3P Pts/Shot: 0.82 pps
Full Game Stats: Duke Basketball Reference Season Stats
Notes
Pittsburgh scored 21 of their 29 first half points from beyond the arc (7 of 20) before going 2 for 13 (0.46 pps) from three after halftime. Duke shot 7 for 14 from three-point range in the second half (1.50 pps). The Blue Devils posted a 63.7% effective field goal percentage, including an efficient 1.36 pps on two-pointers.1
With Patrick Ngongba sitting out due to injury, Coach Scheyer utilized some different rotations. Duke trailed 29-28 before the lineup of 1-Foster / 2-Boozer / 7-Sarr / 8-Harris / 12-Boozer outscored Pittsburgh 12-0 from the 2:32 mark of the first half to the 16:50 mark of the second half. This five-man lineup had not logged any minutes together prior to last night, and finished +4 in 8:38.2
The combination of 1- Foster / 2-Boozer / 3-Evans / 6-Brown / 12-Boozer led the Blue Devils in plus/minus at +8 in 2:36, pushing Duke’s lead to 17 points with 2:26 left to go. This lineup had only appeared together in 9 games prior to last night (+8 in ~18 min).3
Caleb Foster posted 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists and was +17 in 34:49. Isaiah Evans finished with 21 points and did not miss a shot in the second half, including 4 for 4 from three.
Thanks for reading, Go Duke!
Duke’s 63.7% eFG was their best mark since the Florida State game (64.2% eFG).
1-Foster / 2-Boozer / 7-Sarr / 8-Harris / 12-Boozer played 8:38 consecutively from the 3:37 mark of the first half to the 14:49 mark of the second half.
Duke led 56-47 before 1- Foster / 2-Boozer / 3-Evans / 6-Brown / 12-Boozer outscored Pitt 11-3 from the 5:02 mark to the 2:26 mark of the second half.