Duke's insane 2nd-half performance should strike fear into every team
There have been many great speeches in American history, but few have made the immediate impact that Duke interim coach Jeff Capel's had on Saturday night.
The Blue Devils went to the locker room at halftime against Miami as a disoriented unit, trailing by 11 points in front of a worried home crowd. Whatever Capel said must have been incredibly inspiring because in just seven minutes time, Duke turned the 11-point deficit into a 10-point lead.
On a team full of future NBA players, it was senior Matt Jones who led the turnaround, scoring 11 points and swiping three steals.
However, it was Duke's defense that was the difference in tilting the game in favor of the home team, as the Blue Devils held Miami to just a single point in the first seven minutes of the second half.
Here's how the possessions looked for the Hurricanes during that time:
| Possession | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turnover | 36-25 |
| 2 | Turnover | 36-27 |
| 3 | 1 made free throw | 37-27 |
| 4 | Turnover | 37-27 |
| 5 | Missed 3-pointer | 37-29 |
| 6 | Missed jumper | 37-29 |
| 7 | Turnover | 37-32 |
| 8 | Turnover | 37-34 |
| 9 | Turnover | 37-37 |
| 10 | Turnover | 37-39 |
| 11 | Missed jumper | 37-41 |
| 12 | Missed layup | 37-42 |
| 13 | Missed layup | 37-45 |
| 14 | Turnover | 37-47 |
Duke wouldn't stop there, continuing to pour on the pressure, and extending its lead to 19 at one point, before winning by 12. After scoring 36 points in the first 20 minutes, Miami would barely hit the 20-point mark in the second frame.
The Blue Devils came in after two straight road losses to Florida State and Louisville, and while they weren't necessarily expected to win those games, a third straight loss wouldn't have looked good for the interim coach.
Instead, the preseason No. 1 team showed just how dominant it can be when firing on all cylinders. Perhaps the most impressive thing about the turnaround is that it allowed Duke to flex its depth muscles, with starters Grayson Allen and Luke Kennard both on the bench for the entire run.
It's likely the Duke faithful could have lived without the 11-point halftime deficit, but the Blue Devils' performance in the second half showed why many still consider this team to be the favorite for the national championship.