Kyle Filipowski’s near-perfect night leads No. 11 Duke to an easy 75-53 win over Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Kyle Filipowski scored 26 points on 11 of 12 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds as No. 11 Duke raced to a massive first-half lead and cruised past Pittsburgh 75-53 on Tuesday night for its seventh straight victory.
The Blue Devils (12-3, 3-1 ACC) made quick work of the Panthers (10-6, 1-3), overwhelming Pitt during the opening 20 minutes under a barrage of 3-pointers — including three from Filipowski — while building a 25-point lead that Pitt never came close to threatening.
Jared McCain added 12 points for Duke and Caleb Roach had eight points and seven assists for the Blue Devils, who appear to be finding their form after back-to-back losses to Arkansas and Georgia Tech shortly after Thanksgiving. Duke’s average margin of victory during its current winning streak is 20 points.
Zack Austin led Pitt with 11 points but the Panthers — who are off to a rough start while trying to reach the NCAA tournament for a second straight year — were never really in it. Pitt shot just 33% (19 of 58) from the field and spent most of the night trying and failing to get a handle on Filipowski.
The 7-foot sophomore showed a little bit of everything. He began the game with a tip-in, followed with a putback, and added a layup before stepping outside to knock down three 3-pointers as part of a brilliant opening half that saw Duke race to a 48-23 lead.
The Blue Devils made nine 3s during the half while Pitt made just eight baskets total. At one point Duke drilled a three on three consecutive trips in a variety of ways — in transition, out of an offensive set and by making an extra pass out of a double team — and the Panthers simply couldn’t keep up no matter what combination coach Jeff Capel threw on the floor.
BIG PICTURE
Duke: Filipowski bounced back from a rough shooting night (2 for 12) in a sluggish win over Notre Dame by dismantling Pitt. His footwork makes him a difficult matchup on the inside and when he gets it going from beyond the 3-point line, he’s borderline unguardable.
Pitt: The Panthers were hoping to take another step forward after returning to March Madness last spring for the first time in seven years. Time is running out after four losses in their first five conference games.
UP NEXT
Duke: Will try to get revenge on the Yellow Jackets, who visit Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday.
Pitt: Has a week off before welcoming Syracuse on Jan. 16. The Orange won the first meeting between the teams 81-73 at the Carrier Dome on Dec. 30.
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