Duke trailed for a significant portion of the first half and it appeared as though they might be suffering from a hangover following their big win over North Carolina.

However, Duke eventually wore down the Terrapins, who were playing short-handed without Pe’Shon Howard, who tore his ACL in practice and is out for the season.

Duke also got another tremendous effort from Miles and Mason Plumlee, two players who really hurt the Terps in the first meeting this year between the two teams.

Duke still needs to find a way to get more consistent play out of their guards, specifically Seth Curry.

Duke held a six-point lead at halftime and seemed to be, for the most part, in control of the game.

The second half was a different story, as it seemed like nothing could go right for the favored Blue Devils.

The team seemed really rattled by Arizona, and Duke was missing a ton of open shots and turning the ball over entirely too much.

The loss ended their national championship hopes and the great college careers of seniors Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith.

The Blue Devils took a four-point lead into halftime but did not come out of the locker room playing good basketball.

Coach K called a timeout and took off his jacket, hoping it might get his team to pick up their intensity.

Nolan Smith went on to score the team’s next 10 points, but the Blue Devils saw a 13-point lead erased in no time.

The win is the 900th of Coach K’s career, bringing him to within two victories of tying Bobby Knight atop the all-time list.

The game was of great importance because it marked the return of freshman sensation Kryie Irving.

The point guard came off the bench and got off to a sluggish start, but eventually seemed to find his footing.

He actually finished with a game-high 14 points as the game got out of hand fairly early in the contest.

The Blue Devils advance to the next round to face a Michigan team that isn’t afraid to bomb away from the perimeter.

Duke sprinted out to an early lead and never looked back, turning back a few half-hearted Carolina comeback attempts.

The Blue Devils got great play out of the usual suspects, but it was the performances by the Plumlee brothers and Ryan Kelly that really stood out.

It was the third ACC tournament title for seniors Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler, and now they hope to win their second national championship.

The victory likely pushed Duke over the top to reward them with a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

The point guard is currently rehabbing from a strange toe injury that has cost him much of the season.

There was hope that Irving may be able to return for the ACC and NCAA tournaments, but the Blue Devils aren’t going to take any chances with his basketball career.

Despite the injury, Irving is still projected to be one of the top picks in the NBA Draft and is highly unlikely to return to Duke for his sophomore year.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are most likely to get the No. 1 overall pick, and they are already eyeing up Irving.

Nolan Smith took control after halftime as he has done so many times this year and finished with 18 points.

Seth Curry followed up the best game of his career at Duke with 16 points, five steals and four rebounds.

Kyle Singler bounced back from one of the worst games of his career to score 14 points and shoot much better from the floor.

The Blue Devils managed to avoid a hangover after an emotional come-from-behind win against North Carolina.

Nolan Smith put together another fine game, scoring 20 points, grabbing six rebounds and dishing out seven assists.

Ever since Kryie Irving went down with the toe injury, the senior has really stepped up his game and put Duke on his back.

Mason Plumlee finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds, and the Blue Devils will need more of that from him down the stretch.

The win sets up a showdown with the rival North Carolina Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium for first place in the ACC.

Duke came out cold and sluggish and watched as St. John’s built a 21-point lead by the intermission.

Duke’s outside shooting was horrific until the final three minutes, and they were 1-21 from the three-point line at one point in the second half.

Once the Blue Devils fell behind by double-digits, they applied a full-court press that hurt them more than it helped.

Things don’t get any easier for Duke as they travel to the Comcast Center to take on the rival Maryland Terrapins.

Nolan Smith once again took charge for Duke, scoring 28 points to go along with eight assists and three rebounds.

Seth Curry made a return to the starting lineup and chipped in 20 points, which is a season high for him.

Duke held a nine-point advantage at halftime and continued to pull away in the second half because of outstanding outside shooting.

It was a big game for the Blue Devils because a loss would have put the Eagles into first place in the ACC.