ACC , Duke MBB

Duke Dominates No. 8 Tennessee at Halftime, 54-30, in Cameron Exhibition

Duke leads No. 8 Tennessee 54-30 at halftime of an exhibition at Cameron Indoor Stadium, a lopsided first half for the Blue Devils.

An exhibition with little at stake

This was Duke’s first official exhibition of the season, and a much bigger test than last week’s scrimmage against Belmont. The Cameron Crazies had camped out in Krzyzewskiville since Monday morning, and the Tennessee fans in bright orange had traveled a long way to attend. The game doesn’t count toward either team’s regular-season record. Its main purpose is to let coach Jon Scheyer test his roster, and it’s a poor predictor of how either team will do later.

Foster sits, others step up

Caleb Foster missed the game with a minor ankle injury. He stayed on the bench because Scheyer didn’t want to risk aggravating it. His teammates filled the gap:

  • Patrick Ngongba II made 3 of 5 shots inside the arc.
  • Duke made all 13 of its free throws in the half.
  • Freshman point guard Deron Rippey Jr. had 10 points and two three-pointers in Foster’s place.

Turnovers tilt the game

Tennessee’s offense was a mess early. More than four minutes in, the Volunteers had just two points, both free throws by Terrence Hill Jr. Sloppy passing and tight Duke defense produced eight Tennessee turnovers. Cayden Boozer got an early takeaway, and five different Blue Devils finished the half with a steal. Duke wasn’t clean either, though. By halftime it had seven turnovers to Tennessee’s eight.

Shooting from deep evens out

Tennessee took its first three-pointer nearly nine and a half minutes in, courtesy of Troy Henderson. The Volunteers finished the half 2-for-8 from beyond the arc.

Duke started hot, making five of its first nine threes. It then missed six straight before settling at 7-for-18. Eight of the nine Blue Devils who played took a three. Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell made two of three attempts and scored eight points.

Player of the half: Dame Sarr

Dame Sarr scored Duke’s first points with a quick layup, then added another basket two possessions later. By halftime he had 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting. At 6-foot-8, he used his height to tip rebounds to teammates. Sarr was also a creator. He fired a one-handed pass to the left corner, where Boston native Sebastian Wilkins hit his first three of the night. Sarr missed his early outside shots and made his first three with less than a minute left in the half. He still had the best shooting percentage inside the arc on his team.

What to watch in the second half

  • Can Tennessee fix its turnovers and shooting? The Volunteers need cleaner ball handling and more consistent shooting to cut into the lead.
  • Will Duke keep its free throws and depth going? Perfect free-throw shooting and balanced scoring gave the Blue Devils a comfortable cushion.
  • Is Foster’s absence a one-game precaution? Scheyer chose to rest him, and the rest of the roster played well without him.