Duke Stuffs Slumping Cavaliers, 80-66

Virginia’s bid for its first ACC victory was rejected by Duke – literally.

The fifth-ranked Blue Devils blocked 14 shots and got six 3-pointers from J.J. Redick to keep the Cavaliers winless in conference play. The 80-66 setback at Cameron Indoor Stadium dropped UVa to 0-4 in the ACC with all four losses coming by double digits. Duke stayed unbeaten at 13-0, 3-0 in the ACC.

“I’m very proud of our kids. I thought we played hard,” said UVa coach Pete Gillen. “We attacked. We attacked. We got in close to the basket and it was blocked sometimes.”

Shelden Williams swatted nine shots, a career high, and also had 16 points and 11 rebounds for Duke. Redick finished with 28 points and Daniel Ewing had 17.

Sean Singletary scored 21 points to lead Virginia, while Gary Forbes had 17 points and 10 rebounds. The Cavaliers made 20 of 21 free throws to stay in contention, but the game was never truly close after UVa got off to yet another slow start in the second half.

Up 34-28 at the break, the Blue Devils opened the second half with an 11-2 run to stretch their lead to 15. Williams blocked three shots during that stretch, two by Elton Brown, and Duke scored on four straight possessions to take command. Similar second-half funks cost the Cavs against Wake Forest, Georgia Tech and Miami.

“We just didn’t come out in the second half and fight like Coach wanted us to,” said Forbes, who had seven offensive rebounds and scored on five putbacks in the first half. “We just didn’t survive their runs.”

Forbes scored nine quick points, six on stickbacks, as Virginia jumped to a 17-10 lead. Duke used separate runs of 8-0 and 9-0 to move in front for good. Redick and Ewing did most of the damage offensively, while Williams anchored the Blue Devil defense.

After Duke’s spurt to start the second half, the Cavs pulled within eight points on two occasions but never got closer. Brown’s layup made it 49-41 before Ewing answered with a 3-pointer. It was 56-48 with 10 minutes left, but Redick drained his fifth 3-pointer from the right wing and Williams followed with a 3-point play. Redick scored 20 points in the second half while missing just one shot.

Devin Smith (ankle) and Jason Clark (Achilles heel) did not start for Virginia and neither played well off the bench. Smith went 1 for 8 from the field and scored eight points, while Clark had no points, one rebound and three fouls in seven minutes.

The Cavaliers (9-5 overall) next play at Maryland on Wednesday night. This is their worst ACC start since opening 0-5 in 1998-99, Gillen’s first season as head coach.