After two defeats last week, Duke hopes to get back in the win column beginning with a home clash against Notre Dame on Tuesday in Durham, N.C.
The second loss of the week for Duke (17-8, 8-6 ACC) came in overtime on Saturday at then-No. 8 Virginia. The final score was 69-62, but the result was mired in controversy.
After the game, the ACC released a statement saying that a shooting foul should have been called at the end of regulation on the Cavaliers, which would have put Blue Devils forward Kyle Filipowski at the free throw line for the chance to win the game. Instead, there was no call and Virginia outscored Duke 11-4 in overtime.
“I’m angry still. I’d be lying to you if I said I wasn’t,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said Monday. “Saturday was a disappointing outcome, and I respect (the ACC) for putting that out. I respect them for acknowledging that, but that doesn’t change (the fact that it happened).”
Scheyer also said Monday that Filipowski hurt his ankle on that final play in regulation. The freshman big man — who leads the team in scoring and rebounding with 14.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game — is set to have an MRI on Monday. His status to play against Notre Dame remains uncertain. Filipowski and Mark Mitchell are the only two Duke players who have started in every game this season.
For the first time this season, Duke did not receive any votes in the latest AP Top 25 Poll, which was released Monday. The Blue Devils aim to get back in the good graces of voters with a win Tuesday.
Notre Dame (10-15, 2-12) has lost three straight games, most recently falling at home on Saturday against Virginia Tech 93-87. Nate Laszewski scored a career-high 33 points for the Irish, but Notre Dame allowed the Hokies to shoot 57.1 percent from the floor and dish out 19 assists on 32 made baskets.
The Irish’s defense didn’t match their effort on offense.
Tuesday’s game will mark Mike Brey’s final visit to Cameron Indoor Stadium as the head coach of the Irish. Before Brey took the reins at Notre Dame, he was a Duke assistant under Mike Krzyzewski from 1987 to 1995.
“I’m glad our guys get to compete in there,” Brey said. “It’s a great opportunity. It’s a great experience.”
While Brey is stepping down from Notre Dame at the end of the season, he made it clear that he is not retiring, telling Stadium that he is “definitely not done coaching.”
–Field Level Media
