12/20 Duke vs. Pittsburgh - as it happens
(Channeling Brent Musburger)…
We are coming to you LIVE from Madison Square Garden as the Pittsburgh Panthers and the Duke Blue Devils get set for what should be a fantastic contest.
Today’s announcers are Dan Shulman and Jay Bilas. Rock solid announcing crew.
And here we go…
- Duke comes out in a straight man to man. It will be interesting to see if the Duke frontcourt is athletic enough to keep up with the Panthers.
- Both teams come out a little shaky - a couple of turnovers and offensive fouls early on.
- Duke has now switched to a zone defense and forces a quick turnover. Pitt’s DeJuan Blair steals the ball at the top of the key and is fouled on the breakaway dunk attempt. Score tied 3-3 at the 17:37 mark.
- Pitt has four early turnovers - their guards are not making good decision on the perimeter.
- Gerald Henderson of Duke called for a charge - he has two quick fouls, which isn’t good for the Blue Devils. Duke ahead 5-3 with 15:57 to go.
- Duke’s 6′8″ freshman Kyle Singler is showing a lot of game tonight - two quick buckets on a couple of nifty moves.
- Singler with another nifty cut to the hoop for another bucket. He’s very active on both ends of the floor.
- Pitt is doing a better job at spreading the floor and passing the ball around the perimeter. Score tied at 9 with 13:38 to go.
- DeMarcus Nelson buries a trey for the Dookies, and the pace is starting to pick up a bit.
- Pitt’s PG Ronald Ramon picked up his dribble way above the three point line and nearly turned the ball over. That is the third or fourth time he’s picked up the dribble way to early. Duke up 14-11 at the 11:20 mark.
- Duke is extending their defense high up top and is making it hard for Pitt to get into their offensive sets.
- Blair just sent Jon Scheyer layup attempt into the third row. With authority! Blair is well on his way to a double-double.
- Yet another Pitt turnover up top. Bilas said that Pitt usually doesn’t turn the ball over very much…I find that hard to believe. Duke up 19-13 with 7:44 to go.
- Duke’s Greg Paulus hits a deep three off a screen to put Duke up 22-13. Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon calls a timeout as the Blue Devils are on an 8-0 run.
- Blair picks up his second foul on the low block instead of passing out of a double team. Not a good decision. Pitt hasn’t scored in the last 4:15.
- Singler with a nifty turn-around jumper to push the Duke lead to 11.
- Pitt now has 13 turnovers after a very sloppy pass just over half court. The Panthers are completely out of synch. Duke up 31-15 with 3:52 to go and they are threatening to blow this game wide open.
- It looks like Duke has another 3-point madman with Taylor King - he just drained a shot from deep in the corner. Bilas says he’ll shoot from anywhere inside half court. Let’s hope so - I love watching a mad bomber hoist up threes from anywhere and everywhere.
- Blair gets loose inside for an easy hoop to trim the lead to 12, 34-22.
- Going into half time, Dixon cannot be pleased with his team’s effort on the offensive end of the floor. Way too many turnovers, way too many sloppy passes, way too many forced shots. If they don’t settle down in the second half and do a better job of getting into their offense, Duke could easily run away from them.
2nd half
- Duke is continuing to put a lot of pressure on the Pitt guards. Ramon is having a terrible time beating anybody off the dribble, and his teammates aren’t setting any screens for him.
- Pitt is just standing still on offense - nobody is cutting to the ball, nobody is screening away. Absolutely awful execution.
- After Singler makes a quick pass out of a double team, Bilas exclaimed “some guys look…other guys see - and Kyle Singler sees.” Duke up 38-26 at the 16:31 mark.
- Duke is doing a phenomenal job at switching on defense - Pitt is only 1 for 9 from behind the arc, and they aren’t getting many good looks.
- Sideline reporter Doris Burke is now interviewing Duke’s new football coach, David Cutcliffe. Yeah, that’s a job that I would want. Best wishes with that David.
- Pitt continues to settle for fall-away jumpers and low percentage shots. One thing going for them - they are already in the 1 and 1 at the 14:50 mark. If they can start making their free throws, Pitt might keep this game close.
- Pitt is trying to push the tempo after missed Duke shots, which is a good strategy. They can’t do anything against the Blue Devils’ half court defense, so why not push the pace. Duke up 43-33 with 12:47 left in the game.
- Pitt has narrowed the lead to 5 with some good defense and fast break buckets. If they want to win this game, they need to keep pushing the ball up the floor.
- Pitt is now in the double bonus with 10:42 to go. Blair is only 5 for 13 from the line tonight.
- Blair is whistled for an intentional foul after taking down Singler on a rebound attempt. The freshman isn’t afraid of anybody and is a strong as a horse.
- Blair grabs his 13th rebound and the putback to bring the Panthers within 6 at 48-42.
- Levance Fields hits a huge three to pull the Panthers within 3, and Duke calls a quick timeout. Pitt is playing with more energy, and it is about time they did.
- Blair with a quick steal that leads to an easy layup. Pitt is down only one.
- The senior Henderson just drew an offensive charge on the freshman Blair - great play by the Duke veteran. Henderson flopped and the refs bought it.
- Another turnover by Duke - they are looking very unorganized on the offensive end.
- Nelson pushes off with his elbow on a fastbreak and gets whistled for the foul. Bilas, being the Duke homer that he is, says it was a bad call. I disagree - he definitely raised up his elbow and pushed off.
- Bilas with a great quote - “having fun is doing hard things well”. Well said.
- Blair with another huge offensive rebound and draws the foul on Singler - his 4th. Singler has been very quiet in the second half. If only Blair was hitting his free throws, Pitt would have a 7-8 point lead.
- Pitt’s Sam Young grabs an offensive rebound off of a missed free throw and draws the foul. Pitt takes the lead on Young’s two free throws, 50-48.
- Duke can’t buy a basket right now. Pitt’s physicality is starting to pay dividends. Blair with another offensive board but misses the easy put-back.
- Duke hasn’t scored in the last 4:48. Talk about a game of scoring droughts…
- Singler is back in the game guarding Blair - if Pitt was smart, they’d feed the ball into Blair until he fouled Singler out.
- Singler makes a nifty move to the hoop but misses the easy lay-up. You’ve got to dunk that ball, son. Either go up strong or go home.
- Pitt up 52-51 at the 2:35 mark, as we take a TV timeout.
- Singler with a huge three from the top of the arc to tie the game at 56. 1:31 left in the game.
- Young with a big fadeaway jumper as the shot clock was running down. Henderson comes right back down and hits a great turnaround jumper to even the score.
- Pitt got the shot they were looking for, but Young’s baseline jumper went long. Duke with the ball, 16 seconds left, score tied at 58, and the shot clock is off.
- Henderson with a drive, Singler grabs the rebound but his tip-in won’t fall. And we go to OVERTIME…
OVERTIME
- Blair picks up his 4th foul - he must be careful on both ends of the floor from here on out.
- Pitt’s Mike Cook drives the lane, goes down in a crumpled heap and is screaming in pain. His left knee just buckled as he planted to jump. Not good at all…
- Blair with his 18th board of the night. Pitt needs to get him some more touches down on the low block.
- Young with a tough baseline runnier to push Pitt back in front 60-59. He was almost behind the backboard when he released the shot.
- Gerald Henderson takes a really tough shot from the foul line - Coack K can’t be happy with that shot selection.
- Nelson with a fantastic up and under baseline drive and draws the 5th foul on Blair. Blair finishes with 15 points, 20 rebounds and 3 blocks. Can Pitt survive without Blair in the game?
- Nelson completes the three point play to push Duke ahead by 1, 63-62 with 1:15 to go.
- Duke is now pulling the ball back and making Pitt come out and challenge them. They can’t take too much time to start their offensive set.
- Fields is called for an offensive foul - Pitt isn’t getting any calls right now. It looked like Singler leaned into him a bit.
- Pitt is forced to foul Singler with 23 seconds left. First foul shot is in and out. Some freshman nerves, perhaps? Second foul shot rattles around and goes in. Duke up 64-62 with 16 seconds left.
- Fields drains a step back trey from the top of the key with 5 seconds left!!! Duke has no timeouts, Scheyer forces up a long range 3 and it isn’t close. Pitt wins 65-64.
If there is such a thing as an ugly win, this was it. Duke definitely let this one get away. Give Pitt credit for keeping their composure and fighting back in the second half.
Tags: blue-devils, david-cutcliffe, dejuan-blair, Duke, gerald-henderson, greg-paulus, Jamie-Dixon, jon-scheyer, kyle-singler, Levance-Fields, mike-cook, panthers, Pitt, Pittsburgh, ronald-ramon, sam-young, taylor-kingRelated Stories
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