Late Rally Lifts No. 4 Duke Past No. 2 Virginia, 69-63

Story Links

Box Score Jan. 31, 2015

Box Score | Quotes | Notes | Photo Gallery

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) Quinn Cook, Tyus Jones and No. 4 Duke got their biggest shots to start falling just in time.

Jones scored 17 points, Cook had 15 and both made critical 3-pointers in the closing minutes, fueling a game-ended 16-5 run that gave the Blue Devils a 69-63 victory against No. 2 Virginia, ending the Cavaliers’ 21-game home winning streak.

”We were getting the same looks. It was just a matter of the ball going in the basket,” Jones said.

Cook hit three times from long range in the final 4:38 and Jones hit the clincher with about 10 seconds left, capping a dramatic turnaround that had seen the Blue Devils miss their first nine 3-point tries, and 11 of their first 13.

Then, with Virginia leading by eight with 4:48 to play, and it sell-out crowd looking for the kill shot, Duke’s only hope was to start converting, and it did, making 5 of their last 6. When Jones’ 3 fell, pushing the Blue Devils’ lead to six and the Cavaliers accepted their fate, it brought a positive end to what has been a wild week for Duke.

A week ago, coach Mike Krzyzewski won his 1,000th career game against St. John’s at Madison Square Garden. The Blue Devils then lost Wednesday night at Notre Dame, and dismissed junior guard Rasheed Sulaimon the next day.

Ending the week with a smile was important, Cook said.

”Big time. Big time,” Cook said. ”They’re one of the best teams in the country and if you can get a win against those guys, especially in their house, it’s just a great feeling.”

The Blue Devils (18-3, 5-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) finished 28 for 55 (50.9 percent) and became the first team to shoot 50 percent against the Cavaliers this season.

Justise Winslow added 15 and Jahlil Okafor had 10 points and nine rebounds.

Virginia (19-1, 7-1) started the second half with a 16-4 burst and led by 11 with just under 11 minutes to play before some ill-advised shots, turnovers and Duke’s blistering shooting turned the tables.

Malcolm Brogdon led Virginia with 17 points and Justin Anderson had 11.

”There were a few possessions where I thought we were a little stagnant and didn’t get the looks we wanted against their zone,” Cavaliers coach Tony Bennett said. ”I thought there was enough offense there to win that game. At the end you’ve got to come up with some tough stops. Those errors and breakdowns cost us.”

Cook’s third 3-pointer gave Duke its first lead since early in the first half at 66-63 with 1:16 remaining. After Mike Tobey missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw for Virginia, Jones’ second 3 of the game finished the Cavaliers off.

Duke twice had to close big margins in the closing minutes. The Blue Devils pulled within 49-47 after getting two baskets by Okafor and an assist by the big man for a layup by Matt Jones, but then saw Virginia score the next seven points.

The meeting was the first of teams in the top five in Charlottesville since No. 3 Virginia beat No. 2 North Carolina 74-58 at University Hall on Feb. 3, 1982, and brought out Virginia royalty like former stars Ralph Sampson and Sean Singletary.

Winslow had seven points in an 11-2 run for the Blue Devils that gave them a 22-13 lead with 6 1/2 minutes to go in the opening half, but Virginia closed the half on a 12-4 burst to trail 26-25 at the intermission.

Okafor had more turnovers, three, than points, two, at the half, and Winslow had 11 by halftime.

Virginia plays at No. 13 North Carolina on Monday night.