Duke survives Pitt following huge comeback in second half

DURHAM, NC — Duke freshman big man Kyle Filipowski put in a career-high 28 points and grabbed 15 rebounds en route to a 77-69 victory against Pitt in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The No. 24 ranked Blue Devils (13-4, 4-2 ACC) sparked a 46-25 second-half comeback behind 16 second-half points from Filipowski. Duke held Pitt scoreless during a crucial eight-minute stretch in which the Blue Devils sparked a 19-2 run to take the lead.

Pitt (11-6, 4-2 ACC) had won five of their last six games before this matchup, including a 1-point loss to Clemson last Saturday. Duke was without team captain Jeremy Roach, who missed his second consecutive game as he continues to nurse a toe injury.

The Panthers got out to a nine-point lead midway through the first half as Jamarius Burton shot out for a quick nine points, four assists and two rebounds. His ability to get to the rim off switches and create for himself and others played as a disadvantage for Duke in the first half. Burton would finish the game leading Pitt with 16 points and 6 assists.

The Blue Devils would bring the score within two with four minutes remaining in the first half but the Panthers sparked a 9-0 run to close out the period as Nelly Cummings began to heat up. Cummings would finish the night with 14 points and 4 turnovers.

Duke would come out of the halftime break with much more passion, fire and drive exuded than they did in the first half. Freshman guard Tyrese Proctor led the second-half swing, scoring nine of his 14 points in the last period. Proctor’s energy and defensive prowess helped turn things around for the Blue Devils when they most needed to.

“We needed that one. That’s a really good team over there,” Proctor told me after the game. “We learned a lot about the passion and fight that we have as a team.”

Duke returns to action this Saturday against ACC rival Clemson (13-3, 5-0 ACC), who is undefeated so far at home and against other ACC opponents. The game tips off at 5 p.m. ET in Littlejohn Coliseum on ACC Network.