Zion Williamson Drops 22, RJ Barrett Adds 24 as Duke Defeats Georgia Tech

The No. 2 Duke Blue Devils continue to roll at Cameron Indoor Stadium, overcoming a slow start to earn a 66-53 victory over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Saturday.

Home has been kind to Duke so far this season, as the Blue Devils have gone 10-1 in their first 11 games in front of the Cameron Crazies. They've also won 12 straight games against their ACC rivals dating back to the 2009-10 season.

RJ Barrett posted his second double-double in the past four games with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Zion Williamson was the only other Duke player to reach double figures in scoring, dropping 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting. 

One-Dimensional Offense Limits Duke's Potential

The Achilles heel for Duke all season has been three-point shooting. The Blue Devils entered Saturday tied for 306th in the nation with a 31.2 percent success rate behind the arc.

It's been easy for head coach Mike Krzyzewski's team to get away with it to this point because they've been so good in other areas. They are the fourth-best rebounding team (43.2 per game) with a defense that ranks fifth in efficiency. 

Duke's limited shooting ability once again reared its ugly head early against Georgia Tech. Barrett and Cam Reddish have endured extended cold spells, going 13-of-54 collectively from three against Syracuse, Virginia, Pitt and the first half against Georgia Tech.

Neither player worked their way out of those struggles on Saturday, but Barrett finally stopped trying to shoot away from the basket. He scored 14 points in the second half without taking a three-pointer. 

Reddish's struggles have been an ongoing story all season. The freshman forward entered Saturday's game with the worst shooting percentage on the roster among players in Krzyzewski's regular rotation (36.4). That number will go down after Georgia Tech held him to 1-of-11 shooting.

Despite these problems, Duke was able to do what it's done so often this season. After falling behind by seven points four minutes into the second half, the Blue Devils needed four minutes to go up by six after a 13-0 run. 

Williamson remains the stable rock on both sides of the ball. His presence in the paint as a rebounder and defender gives Reddish and Barrett some freedom to shoot their way out of a slump. 

Duke did get Tre Jones back after he missed the previous two games with a shoulder injury. He was still limited, scoring just six points on 3-of-7 with four assists and four rebounds. 

The Blue Devils are so balanced on both sides of the ball that they don't need to be a great shooting team to win games. But when they go against better opponents in the NCAA tournament, they could need someone to make a big three-pointer. 

Right now, they don't have that player. Barrett, Reddish and Jones have to find their groove over the next six weeks to ensure Duke's dream season ends with a championship. 

Resilient Georgia Tech Showcases Depth in Loaded ACC

Despite what the final score would indicate, Georgia Tech threw everything it could at Duke for most of the game. 

The Yellow Jackets had their chance to score a knockout blow after taking a 38-31 lead on Abdoulaye Gueye's layup with 15:45 remaining in the second half. They got the ball right back after Reddish missed a layup, but a Michael Devoe turnover seemed to wake up the sleeping giant. 

Duke closed the game on a 35-15 run to secure its sixth conference win in seven games. 

Georgia Tech's performance illustrated how good the ACC is this season. On the surface, the team's 11-9 record doesn't stand out in a conference with six ranked teams and an unranked Syracuse squad that is 14-5 overall and has a win over Duke. 

On closer inspection, though, head coach Josh Pastner has his team heading in the right direction after winning only 13 games last season.

The Yellow Jackets kept up with top-ranked Tennessee in the first half of their Nov. 13 game before falling by the same 66-53 score. They held a 16-point lead over St. John's in a 76-73 loss and were tied late in the second half against No. 10 Virginia Tech on Jan. 9. 

Duke can survive a poor game against Georgia Tech because the talent gap is significant, but the Yellow Jackets are also good enough to highlight the weaknesses of a great opponent in a way that a more talented group can exploit down the line. 

Once Pastner gets underclassmen like Devoe, Jose Alvarado and Curtis Haywood II accustomed to playing in the spotlight against an opponent like Duke, they will be able to close out games like Saturday's and become an NCAA tournament team in the near future. 

What's Next?

Georgia Tech will face No. 11 North Carolina on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET. Duke, meanwhile, will take on Notre Dame on Monday at 7 p.m. ET.