From Duke's official website...
Kyle Singler scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half and No. 1 Duke beat Cal Poly Pomona 81-60 on Thursday night in an exhibition matchup of reigning national champions from different divisions.
Miles Plumlee added 14 points and freshman Kyrie Irving had 13 for the Blue Devils, who say they plan to play at a faster pace this season. They shot 48 percent, forced 21 turnovers, led by 31 points and outscored the Broncos 34-10 during the first 11½ minutes of the second half.
Nolan Smith scored 12 points, and Mason Plumlee added 11 points and 12 rebounds for Duke.
I haven't yet watched the game, plan to do so tomorrow night, but glancing through the stats shows a few things...
- Duke was ice-cold from behind the arc, making just 2-15 (13%) of their 3 point shots. Cal Poly Pomona plays a matchup zone and the Blue Devils typically attack the zone from behind the arc. In this game, whether due to poor shooting or a defensive tactic, Duke shot only 23% of their shots from behind the arc.
- Despite some concern about the Blue Devils defense, it was downright nasty in the 2nd half. Duke gave up only 27 points in the 2nd half and most came late when the game was out of hand. It was clear Mike Krzyzewski made this the emphasis at halftime.
- The best thing to come out of this game was the offensive balance that the Blue Devils showed. Five Duke players hit double-figures, coincidentally all 5 were starters. Most importantly for Duke, the Plumlees played well. Miles has been challenged by the Duke coaching staff to be more assertive offensively, finished with 14 points while Mason Plumlee finished with a double-double of 11 pts and 12 rebs.
