Quotes & Notes - January 21
vs. Pittsburgh
After every game I always watch the press conference, read the quotes, and study the box score. Quotes & Notes is my wrap-up of Duke’s most recent game(s).
Quotes
“First, give credit to Pitt. I mean, they came ready to play, hit some really tough shots. Not surprised by any of it. They've been a team that's played better on the road. They're talented, they're good; so not surprised by that at all. I didn't like our start, to begin with. That's something we have to address. I want to apologize to our fans too, by the way. What happened at the end, that can't happen. That's on us and that's unacceptable. So, for us, we have to watch the game, learn from it, move on quickly – we go on the road in a day and a half – and learn from it. Because that's not okay with me what happened tonight.”
- Coach Scheyer’s opening statement after the Pittsburgh game
“That's not how it should be for us. That's not who we are, that's not who we've been. Tonight, they outrebounded us, and the game up there, we outrebounded them. I think rebounding a lot of the time comes down to will and mindset, and we didn't have that. But we're gonna have it, and we've shown it throughout, but we need to have it consistently. That has to become who we are, regardless who's in the lineup or who's not. Does it change our team not having Jeremy [Roach] or Mark [Mitchell] in there? Of course it does, but that can’t impact how you rebound. It can’t impact how you defend. And it can’t impact how you compete. At the end of the day, that’s on us. That’s on us together to figure out how you have that mindset.”
- Coach Scheyer on whether Pitt was the tougher team
“A lot of it comes down to guarding the ball. I thought they had a couple tough shots. Probably, looking back, I'm sure I'll see some communication things and all that. But I just go back to mindset, it's just you gotta find a way. And we didn't do that tonight. And still, when I say that, credit them, [Jaland] Lowe hit two big time threes, big time. Off the bounce, step backs. They had some shots in the paint I thought were tough, contested, but too many plays throughout. When you cut [the lead], I thought there was a huge thing in the game. When you cut it where it's tied or one, you gotta get a stop. And we couldn't get enough of them.”
- Coach Scheyer on Pitt responding throughout the game
“Absolutely, absolutely. And you have to know how to win and how the game is going. I think we let them off the hook with some of those. Our best threes and best shots come from breaking them down and touching the paint; it's who we've been. So absolutely, I think we'll see that…”
- Coach Scheyer on if Duke settled for too many jumpers in the second half, especially after being in the bonus early on
Stats
Congratulations to Coach Capel and his team on the win - the Panthers set the tone from the tip, making 6 of their first 7 shots and leading 21-10 at the 11:10 mark of the first half. The Blue Devils then used a 16-2 spurt to take a three-point lead, Duke’s largest of the game. Pittsburgh responded immediately with their second 9-0 run of the half, but their responses after halftime were even more impressive. Duke tied the game at 45, only to see Ishmael Leggett hit baskets on consecutive possessions. Duke then went ahead 50-49, before Blake Hinson buried back-to-back threes, the first of which was incredibly difficult. Duke still led 62-61 and 65-64, but each time Pitt countered with a three-pointer - the first from Jaland Lowe, and then Hinson again, who finished 7 for 7 from beyond the arc. Even still, Duke trailed 71-72 with 1:10 remaining, before Lowe hit a pull-up three as the shot clock expired. As Coach Scheyer mentioned, there will be some things on film Duke could have done better defensively. But, in all, Pittsburgh led for 35:22 of game time, and their players deserve a lot of credit for their shot making down the stretch. Duke was outrebounded 20-10 in the first half, and Pittsburgh’s 32-18 advantage (+14) in paint points was the largest for any Duke opponent so far this season.
Notes
In Case You Missed It: The Stones brothers faced off last night, as the Spurs defeated the Wizards 131-127. Tre had a near triple-double with 11 points, 12 assists, and 8 rebounds, while Tyus posted 13 points and 6 assists. Recently inserted into the starting lineup, Tre is averaging 12.7 points and 6.9 assists in January, including a 30-point performance in Chicago on January 13th. Tyus is averaging 12.5 points and 5.8 assists for the season, and posted a career-high 15 assists on Thursday in New York. Continued best wishes to the Jones family.
Next Play: Tuesday Jan 23 | 7:00 pm ACCN | Duke travels to Louisville to take on the Cardinals.
Thanks for reading, Go Duke!
Sources