Duke 78, Miami FL 75: Greg Paulus Starts, Leads Duke to Overtime Win

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski chose to start point guard Greg Paulus on Saturday versus Miami (FL). Perhaps Coach K was hoping the senior would provide a spark for a team that desperately needed one following its 27-point loss at Clemson.

The decision slowly but surely helped Duke win the game against Miami, 78-75, in overtime.

The Hurricanes controlled the boards throughout the first half, which limited Duke in second chance opportunities. Miami had out-rebounded Duke 11-3 by the 10:25 mark in first half.

To aid Miami, Duke shot poorly from the field in the first half. At halftime, Duke had shot just 6-for-31 from the field, including 4-for-16 from three-point range. Duke guard Gerald Henderson, who has been playing well lately, struggled to steady Duke offensively in the first half with just one point.

For the second consecutive game, Duke was held without a field goal for more than five minutes. This time, the Duke drought allowed Miami to sustain a 15-4 run to end the first half.

Eight minutes and 30 seconds passed between Duke’s final two field goals of the first half. Overall, Miami played well in the first half; the Hurricanes led Duke 32-19 at halftime.

Down 38-22 with 17:42 left in the game, the 16-point deficit was the largest that Duke would face. A small run brought Duke within 10 at 42-32 with 15:15 left in the second half. Then, in just four minutes, Duke grabbed a four-point lead with the aid of a 14-0 run.

Duke held narrow leads for most of the second half. A three-pointer by Paulus and two free throws by Scheyer gave Duke a three-point lead with 31 seconds left.

To force the game into overtime, Miami guard Jack McClinton tied the game at 68 with a three-pointer with 11 seconds left. McClinton made four straight field goals to close the second half, and he scored the last 18 points for Miami en route to a 34-point performance.

Duke held Miami scoreless in overtime until McClinton made a three-pointer with 32 seconds left. With the score 74-71, Duke made four of six free throw attempts to finish the game, despite four more points by McClinton in the final 11 seconds.

Duke earned 17 offensive rebounds as opposed to just four by Miami. Despite not being able to control the glass in the first half, Duke eventually out-rebounded the Hurricanes, 39-35. Duke also won the turnover battle, 19-9.

The Blue Devils shot 12-39 from three-point range and just 33 percent from the floor. Scoring-wise, Jon Scheyer had a breakout game with 22 points, including four three-pointers and 8-for-10 shooting from the foul line.

Paulus finished with 18 points in 40 minutes. Kyle Singler scored 17 points and grabbed 10 boards for a double-double. Henderson scored all but one of his 19 points in the second half. And David McClure, who had two points and 13 rebounds, seven of which were offensive, provided a scrappy performance for Duke in the comeback win.

Sophomore Nolan Smith’s playing time went to Paulus. Smith did not score, committing a turnover and three fouls in just seven minutes of action.

Duke improves to 20-3 overall and 7-2 in the ACC. Should North Carolina win Saturday versus Virginia, it sets up a showdown between the two first place teams. The winner gets control of the conference for the remainder of the regular season. Also, a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament is on the line.