Duke's fast start not enough to sink Heels
By Frank Dascenzo
February 8, 2007
DURHAM -- North Carolina seemingly waited forever to overtake Duke on Wednesday night in Cameron Indoor Stadium, but what's it matter when you have 79 points and the other guys have 73?
At the end of this one, the Tar Heels knew how to score and the Blue Devils simply couldn't. Take your pick as to what was the most important statistic for UNC -- that 10-4 edge in fastbreak points ... those points in the paint, 38-26 UNC ... the 39 rebounds to Duke's 33 ... those 11 second-half points by Ty Lawson ... or those 11 second-half points by Brandan Wright?
Duke came out on fire, with a new lineup used by Mike Krzyzewski, and attacked and attacked and before you could say "It's awfully loud in this building" (right, again), the Blue Devils were up 10-4 and then 13-6 and then 15-6 and the place was louder -- just as you'd expect.
But you cannot savor something if it doesn't last, and Duke's surge was temporary. Part of that is because the Heels have better talent, and it eventually was displayed, particularly when it most counted in the second half.
Don't bother asking if the Tar Heels deserved it. They did. Duke's inability to score when it counted clearly cost the Blue Devils in a game that likely frustrated them as much as, well, try Virginia Tech and Florida State. Those are two other ACC teams who have made their way to Durham and walked off Coach K Court with a win.
Sometime just before midnight, you could describe the Heels as back to normal while Duke is as luckless as it has been in a long, long time in the Krzyzewski era. Gut-wrenching losses have typified these Blue Devils, and this was, well, (right, again) another one.
If you don't think this already is an unusual season so far, look at those standings. Duke's 5-5 in the league heading to Maryland.
When's the last time you could say that one? And the Heels are 7-2 in the league, which is no surprise.
Duke cannot keep getting 34 second-half points and beat good teams, especially at home. It wouldn't have been this close if UNC's perimeter shooters had been a bit better. The Heels were 3-of-12 from long distance, Duke 7-of-18.
The fact the Heels prevailed should shock nobody. Nine Tar Heels scored points. That's four more than Duke's.
You'd better believe those points in the paint will stand out, as will that drive by Ty Lawson with 1:46 left that put the Heels up 69-63.
Bottom line is this: If you don't score and your opponent does, you lose. Check it out -- Duke shot 43.8 percent in the second half, UNC 59.3. The Heels might have had just two more second-half field goals than Duke, but it clearly was enough.
"We were down 10 early, but I just told our guys to keep attacking and we'd be all right and I honestly believed that," UNC coach Roy Williams said. "It was two teams who played as hard as they could play, even though it might not have been as pretty."
At halftime, Williams told Lawson he had to play better. The coach challenged the freshman to be a big-time player, and Lawson answered.
"Coach was screaming at me in the huddle at one timeout, then at halftime he told me I had take care of the ball, take better shots and pass better," Lawson said. "I wasn't being a leader ,and I was letting the team down."
Williams got his message across to Lawson, a message that needed to be delivered.
"Everybody keeps telling me I'm stupid for playing so many players, but as a coach, I'm going to play who I want at a specific time," Williams said. "I'm the coach, and I'm going to do what I want. Everything's better when the ball goes in the basket."
Lawson has been a huge plus for the Tar Heels, and when this game was on the line, he was just that. Wright had a huge exchange, a four-point differential. Lawson, Wright, etc., fill in the blank, and the Heels had the ammunition to get it done.
"We showed toughness," Wes Miller said. "The maturity we might not have had in the first half, we found in the second."
Fast starts don't hurt, and Duke's unexpected starting lineup -- with 6-6 sophomore David McClure and 7-2 freshman Brian Zoubek starting -- clearly got the Blue Devils off and winging. At 16:21 and with a 13-6 lead, Josh McRoberts, DeMarcus Nelson and Lance Thomas, usually introduced as starters, entered the game. Duke's 39-34 halftime lead clearly was helped by those 9-of-9 free throws, four by Greg Paulus and four by Jon Scheyer.
Sometimes strange things happen in these games, and here are two of them: McRoberts had two first-half points and Tyler Hansbrough four.
But everybody in the house knew there was a long way to go in this one.
