(Courtesy the N&O)
| Stat | Game | |
|---|---|---|
 |  | |
| Points | 74 | 88 |
| FG Att | 57 | 55 |
| FG Made | 22 | 32 |
| FG Pct | 38.6 | 58.2 |
| FT Att | 33 | 26 |
| FT Made | 25 | 19 |
| FT Pct | 75.8 | 73.1 |
| 3pt FG Att | 13 | 12 |
| 3pt FG Made | 5 | 5 |
| 3pt FG Pct | 38.5 | 41.7 |
| Rebounds | 40 | 28 |
| Off Rebs | 17 | 6 |
| Def Rebs | 23 | 22 |
| Team Rebs | 2 | 5 |
| Assists | 8 | 18 |
| Steals | 4 | 5 |
| Blocks | 1 | 5 |
| Turnovers | 14 | 9 |
| Fouls | 21 | 24 |
Some quick thoughts before I hit the sack:
- You need a Player Of The Game? Pick one. Just about everybody stepped up in a big way. Horner was in the zone despite his bum knee...Farnold Degand made some AMAZING interior passes to Tracy Smith around Duke's big men...and Javier's long-range bomb with one second on the shot clock late in the game to seal the deal was nearly enough to win the award by itself. You LOVE to see these types of complete games from the entire roster.
- Speaking of "complete games," this was the complete game we've been teased with this whole season. We've seen 15, 20 and 30-minute games from the Pack that ended in heartbreaking losses, but this was a (nearly) wire-to-wire domination of the Duke. If State could play this focused game-in and game-out, there's no telling what this team could accomplish.
- So thorough was the pantsing of Duke at one point in the game, Coach K had his men drop into a zone. Surprise, surprise: State ATTACKED it! And did so in such a convincing fashion with the aforementioned interior passing, along with a fantastic three from Scott Wood, K quickly abandoned the idea and went back to his staple man defense the rest of the way. I can't recall the last time State attacked a zone that effectively AND dictated to a team of Duke's caliber the way the game was to be played.
- Sometimes things just go your way. When Javi hit that fallback three from 25 feet on what looked like a wasted possession, you just knew it was going to be State's night.
Finally, let me just say I LOVE watching this team when they're feeling it. A lot of lip service has been paid to "team chemistry" and "addition by subtraction," but there's a very real, palpable cohesion you can sense from this team. It's great. I've enjoyed watching this team more than any I can remember going back to the Julius Hodge days.
(in Eddie Murphy's voice): IN THE FACE!!!
ReplyDeleteScheyer can suck it... Great win by the Pack.
ReplyDeletenew twitter follower
ReplyDeletei have been reading comments by sports writers and Coach K himself about Duke being tired from the ruff and tumble game played against Wake and due to that game being a Sunday night game. If these are the reasons for Duke's loss, why wasn't Wake, who had to travel to Duke, play in the same game at the same time likewise effected. Duke had issues with State's faster guards (now isn't this a whoot) who started penetrating the defense they were faced with in the second half of the Clemson game and kept it up during the Duke game. Further, Duke never doubled teamed Tracy-a bad idea. i am suggesting that Singler didn't dare leave Wood to help double team Smith becasue Duke was afraid Wood would light them up. sbas2
ReplyDelete"Finally, let me just say I LOVE watching this team when they're feeling it. A lot of lip service has been paid to "team chemistry" and "addition by subtraction," but there's a very real, palpable cohesion you can sense from this team. It's great. I've enjoyed watching this team more than any I can remember going back to the Julius Hodge days."
ReplyDeleteDitto. It's also a lot easier to stomach a rough night when the team is so much more likeable, and when you know that they aren't struggling because they don't care.