Duke will aim for its fourth straight win on Saturday evening when it hosts Atlantic Coast Conference rival Virginia Tech in Durham, N.C.
The Blue Devils (20-8, 11-6 ACC) keep working to bolster their resume for NCAA Tournament seeding, while also jockeying for positioning in the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, N.C. Duke has just three games left on its regular-season schedule, and just two at home, where it is 14-0 this season.
Duke most recently topped Louisville this past Monday, 79-62, behind five Blue Devils scoring in double figures. Veteran guard Jeremy Roach led the way with 14 points and six assists, while rookie big man Kyle Filipowski chipped in 13 points and seven boards.
First-year Duke head coach Jon Scheyer called it a “big-time win” for the Blue Devils. Key for Duke in the win was its 19 assists on 29 made baskets, compared to just six turnovers.
“We’re getting a feel for each other. Early in the year, we’ve had to do a lot of different things when you talk about the roles that guys are playing, and the continuity,” Scheyer said. “So, just the experience of playing with each other, understanding who’s going to be where, and then just understanding the value of every play.”
Virginia Tech (16-12, 6-11) is coming off a loss at home to No. 13 Miami, falling 76-70 on Tuesday. Sean Pedulla and Hunter Cattoor combined for 32 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists for the Hokies, but they allowed the ‘Canes to go to the free-throw line 19 times to make 15 shots.
“Not quite good enough,” Virginia Tech coach Mike Young said. “We did some really good things, but needless to say, not enough versus the Hurricanes.”
This is the second meeting of the season between the Hokies and Blue Devils. Virginia Tech won at home in Blacksburg on Jan. 23, 78-75, behind 24 points and eight rebounds from Grant Basile.
“It’s going to be a tough environment,” Cattoor said. “We’ve got a lot of dudes that have never played at Duke before so it’s going to be a little bit different for them.”
–Field Level Media
