Field Level Media
Feb 9, 2019
In the second matchup between the top 5 teams in less than a month, No. 2 Duke prevailed again over No. 3 Virginia, 81-71, on Saturday night at John Paul Jones Arena.
The Blue Devils never trailed in the game and shot nearly 58 percent from the field while putting four players in double figures. Freshman R.J. Barrett led all scorers with 26 points on 6-for-10 shooting from beyond the arc.
Duke (21-2, 9-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) made 13 of their 21 3-point attempts, their second-best output of the season from deep.
Virginia (20-2, 8-2) made 10 three-pointers themselves but were unable to get defensive stops, a rarity for the Cavaliers who entered the game with the nation's top scoring defense.
The Cavaliers were led by guards Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome who put in 16 points apiece but were just 5-14 combined from deep.
Duke's hot shooting from the outside limited their points in the paint, something they dominated in the first meeting between the two teams. The Blue Devils did commit 15 turnovers.
Cam Reddish made five of his eight 3-point attempts en route to 17 points while Zion Williamson put in 18 points while grabbing five rebounds and dishing out five assists.
Duke started the game 5-for-5 from 3-point range and ended the half 8-for-11 as Barrett made his first five before missing his final two attempts.
The Blue Devils led by as many as 14 late in the half before Virginia used a 20-10 run to end the half, including making their final five shots of the half. Guy led the Cavaliers with eight first-half points.
Virginia shot 47 percent for the half while Duke shot 59 percent and got 15 points from Barrett.
Duke and Virginia will continue games against ranked opponents as the Blue Devils travel to take on Louisville on Tuesday, while the Cavaliers play at North Carolina on Monday night.
--Field Level Media