Filipowski leads No. 10 Duke to big 1st-half showing on way to beating Virginia 73-48

DURHAM, N.C. -- — Kyle Filipowski tipped the inbounds pass away near halfcourt, ran it down and was cleared for takeoff on a breakaway. He went airborne and then unexpectedly swung his arm in a big circle to throw down a windmill dunk.

Filipowski smiled broadly. Duke's rowdy home arena was roaring. And the 10th-ranked Blue Devils were rolling to a 73-48 win Saturday night against a Virginia team heading in the wrong direction to open March.

The Blue Devils (23-6, 14-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) shot 59% before halftime to lead by 25 points before the break, led by Filipowski's 21 points as Duke owned the interior against a defensive unit known for packing it in to protect the lane.

“They do a good job of making you play through resistance,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “When you have opportunities after movement or in transition or from closeouts ... you’ve got to drive downhill.”

Duke did that — particularly in the first half — by staying on the attack early, playing with crisp energy to move the ball or cut their way for feeds in the paint.

Virginia came in with KenPom’s ninth-ranked defense by allowing 94 points per 100 possessions, while also allowing an average of 24.7 points in the paint during league play. But Duke had 44 points in the paint, the most allowed by Virginia all season.

Duke's energy also was a factor, including one sequence that had both Filipowski and freshman TJ Power dive for a loose ball to start a break that ended with Sean Stewart’s dunk.

Then came Filipowski's unexpected windmill, which had the Blue Devils up 35-13 for a drama-free rest of the evening.

“My legs were feeling good today,” he said. “I had to show everyone I was trying to audition for the next ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ movie.”

Tyrese Proctor added 15 points for Duke.

Reece Beekman had 18 points and Isaac McKneely added 12 points for the Cavaliers (21-9, 12-7), who had been sliding in what is now suddenly turning into a steep fall. The Cavaliers have lost four of six. They shot just 30.9%, including making 5 of 17 3-pointers.

“They got the ball in the lane, on the floor, on the glass, every which way,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said, adding: “They pretty much got what they wanted in the first half. It was a mismatch (inside)."

BIG PICTURE

Virginia: The Cavaliers appeared to have figured some things out when they won eight straight games to return to the AP Top 25 on Feb. 12, but things have taken a wrong turn. Those recent struggles now include four games with scoring outputs in the 40s.

Duke: Duke is adjusting its rotation with freshman Caleb Foster out due to a lower-body injury — he's sporting a boot on his right foot and Scheyer said Saturday he's “highly unlikely anytime soon” to play — but stayed right behind No. 9 North Carolina atop the ACC standings.

UP NEXT

Virginia: The Cavaliers host Georgia Tech March 9 in their regular-season finale.

Duke: The Blue Devils get a short trip and turnaround, visiting North Carolina State on Monday night.

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