No. 15 Florida State Falls to No. 17 Duke

What better time than senior night for Duke to come out on top? This game ended 75-70, but securing this win almost looked easy. ACC basketball is no joke this season. Duke is one of those teams that always make you remember who you came to play.

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First things first- Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski wants to make one things clear. There is no such thing as a slump in Blue Devil nation.

Blue Devil Strategy

• The right players at the right time. Freshman Frank Jackson took advantage of Greyson Allen’s injury- and decided to have his best game of the season with 22 points. Greyson Allen was still in pain, and it showed in his shots. Amile Jefferson also deserves credit. Him and Jackson both teamed up in the first half and helped Duke earn a 15 point lead before the 1st half was over.
• Attack them early. Not only did they have a huge lead in the beginning, but Duke came out hard in the second half leading with nearly 20 points. But the madness didn’t stop there. When there were only two minutes left, they still lead by 10 points.

If Duke can keep this momentum rolling, they might set themselves up in a good spot come tournament time. A big game this weekend against North Carolina will be the true test. Duke is now 23-7 and 5th in the ACC.

Coach Krzyzewski had a lot to say about the game. He made it clear that both teams put in the maximum amount of effort.

Florida State’s Fall

FSU never really got their usual rhythm going in this game. After missing multiple opportunities to score, they couldn’t get back on their feet.

Their demanding offense usually puts up 84.1 points per game. Last time they played Duke, they threw up 88 points in January. So this game seemed like a no-brainer. But this team let the Blue Devil’s swoop in at the wrong time and at the wrong place. With 17 offensive rebounds and almost no pressure applied on Duke, the good ole’ Noles couldn’t come through.

They still have some time, after all their record is a decent 23-7. But their 4th place spot in the ACC isn’t helping their cause. With another big game around the corner, FSU doesn’t have much time to prepare for Miami on Saturday.