Sure they're ranked #5 in the country, and yes it was a good game for 32 minutes. That's good... That's like a 40 degree day.
Nobody has anything good to say about a 40 degree day. Fifty? Fifty will bring a smile to your face. Sixty? It's time to break out the barbecue grill. Go down to 20? Everyone's complaining. But 40, nobody cares about 4o, nobody remembers 40. Losing to Duke by 25 is like a 40 degree day.
The Salukis shot a lackluster 12 of 19 (63%) from the line in this game but they were outscored at the stripe by 28 points which was the difference in this game. The Blue Devils hit 40 of 47 (85%) from the line. It would not be accurate to say that the Blue Devils shot more foul shots because of the officiating either. The Devils took the ball to the hoop and drew fouls, that's why they got to the line, and that's why they won the game.
The Salukis lack of experience in these types of games was evident in the second half. Once the battle tested Duke squad took control with 8 minutes remaining, they never looked back.
The Salukis can still come home happy with a win on Friday. Tony Boyle will need to regroup and pull down some rebounds on Friday. Clemmons and the rest of the guards will need to make a bigger contribution.
Before the UMass game Chris Lowery said his team had to get better in less than 24 hours and they were up to the task. Friday in New York we'll see if the Salukis can do it again.
