Duke absolutely annihilated Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, rolling to a massive 90-47 victory, winning by an astounding 43 points. This was a beatdown, plain and simple, with the Blue Devils outscoring SIUE by 47-27 after the break. You’d think everyone would be ecstatic, but Coach Jon Scheyer isn’t sugarcoating things, stating the offense looked “disjointed” and that they’re “a little bit behind in role identification right now.”
Blue Devils Lock Down Defensively, Find Their Rhythm
The Blue Devils might have started slow, missing nine of their first 11 shots, but don’t let that fool you. They controlled the boards early and still clawed their way to a 6-2 lead. Then, it was game on. Duke unleashed a brutal 25-6 run, fueled by Caleb Foster dropping a pair of threes, and an 11-0 burst that left SIUE reeling. The Cougars were fouling like crazy, putting Duke in the bonus within five minutes. By halftime, Duke’s immense size and a suffocating perimeter defense that held SIUE to a miserable 0-7 from beyond the arc had them up 43-20.
The second half was just more of the same dominance. SIUE managed a couple of early threes, but Duke’s size and raw athleticism were just too much to handle. The Blue Devils closed things out with a ridiculous 20-3 run, proving they were a completely different team from what we saw against Michigan State. This was a far more aggressive and connected Duke, physical and relentless on defense. They forced 19 turnovers, grabbed 11 steals, and swatted away eight shots. Talk about a lockdown! SIUE shot about 14 percent from outside and 30 percent overall, so that defense was certainly working.
Big Men Step Up, Williams Has a Career Night
Offensively, after that cold start, Duke found its stroke, shooting 45 percent overall (30-66) and 31 percent from outside (9-29). If you take out that initial 2-11 slump, their numbers jump to an impressive 50.9 percent overall and 36 percent from three. Inside, after the cold opening, they were hitting 63.3 percent.
Patrick Ngongba, looking healthy after playing sick against Michigan State, was a beast with 13 points on 4-6 shooting, adding nine rebounds and four assists. He also delivered five of those eight blocks! JoJo Boumtje Boumtje matched Ngongba on the boards with nine, dropping 11 points on 5-8 shooting, including a three. Dame Sarr chipped in 12 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Cayden Boozer had a fantastic night, leading the team with a shocking 10 rebounds to go with his 11 points and four assists. Caleb Foster, coming off the bench, added 12 points and three boards. And a huge shoutout to Cameron Williams, who had his best game by far, swatting three shots and putting up nine points. John Blackwell, though, continued his offensive struggles, managing just three points on 1-7 shooting. Sebastian Wilkins got to the line often, hitting 9-10 free throws despite shooting 1-5 from the field.
Even after crushing SIUE by 43 points, Coach Scheyer’s words ring true. “We’re a little bit behind in role identification right now,” he said. They’ve got to figure out those strengths and how to position guys correctly. With high-powered Illinois rolling into Cameron on Tuesday, figuring that out isn’t just a suggestion; it’s an absolute necessity if they want to keep this momentum rolling against a real contender. This isn’t just about winning, it’s about gelling, and the coach knows it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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