Duke glides past Maryland Eastern Shore to improve to 10-2

DURHAM, NC — The No. 15 ranked Duke Blue Devils defeated Maryland Eastern Shore 82-55 on Saturday evening in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Freshman forward Dariq Whitehead led the way for the Blue Devils, scoring a season-high 15 points in his first-ever start in Duke blue. Whitehead sparked a personal 9-0 run in the second half to extend their lead to 30 points.

“I feel like I’ve finally gotten my legs underneath me and these two 10-day breaks we’re getting to end the year will only help us,” Whitehead told me following the win. “I had to stop second-guessing myself and just lock in. I spoke with Grant Hill and Jayson Tatum over the past few weeks for advice on their mindset returning from injury and it really helped.”

Despite the near 30-point victory, Duke struggled to facilitate in the halfcourt set, turning the ball over a season-high 19 times. This was offset by their dominance on the glass — winning the rebounding battle by 22.

“We’ve made it our main focus defensively to get each and every individual rebound possible,” Dereck Lively II said following his eight-point, nine-rebound performance. “Us controlling the glass means that we are controlling the game so as long as we keep doing that, the sky’s the limit.”

The Blue Devils return to action on December 20 when they face up against ACC foe Wake Forest on the road at 6:30 p.m. on ACC Network.