MEN’S BASKETBALL: Cyclones no match for Scheyer and the Blue Devils
Duke’s Jon Scheyer drives around Iowa State’s Diante Garrett during the first half at the United Center in Chicago on Wednesday. Scheyer scored a game-high 31 points to help lead Duke to a 86-65 victory over the Cyclones. Photo: Nam Y. Huh/The Associated Press
January 8, 2010
CHICAGO — Chicago was not a sweet home for the Cyclones on Wednesday as the Blue Devils jumped out of the gate early and never trailed in their 86–65 rout of the Cyclones in front of an evenly mixed crowd of 10,067 at the United Center in Chicago.
“They came out with high pressure and we had a couple turnovers that cost us,” said forward Craig Brackins. “We had a couple of breakdowns and they really made us pay for it.”
Iowa State looked a little jittery in the first couple minutes of the game and Duke took full advantage, scoring the games first nine points en route to a 14-2 lead. The Cyclones finally found their rhythm, however, putting together an 11-point run of their own, keeping the score close going into halftime.
The second half started just like the first as Duke went on a 9-2 run. The Cyclones were unable to answer with another run of their own, and Duke’s lead continued to grow.
“The way we started the game and the way we started the second half, you just can’t compete against any team, let alone a team as talented as Duke.”
The Blue Devils were led by Jon Scheyer, who scored 31 points.
“Throughout the game, I was just trying to be aggressive when I got my opportunities and it just worked out,” Scheyer said.
Scheyer, a native of the Chicago area, had his own cheering section of around 500 fans including friends and teachers from his childhood.
“It was so exciting. There were people here who have been there for me my whole life,” Scheyer said.
While Scheyer was on top of his game, Brackins was being kept pretty well under wraps, scoring just two points in the first half and not hitting his second bucket until well into the second half.
“We tried to deny him the ball, which people haven’t done yet this year,” said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. “Saying you’re going to do it and doing it are two different things. If we played him two games from now, he might go for 36 because he’d be reacting to that.”
Brackins did begin to react to it, finishing the game with 12 points.
“Their game plan was to limit my touches or don’t give me touches at all, and I wasn’t going to let that stop me, even if it took 40 minutes,” Brackins said.
Brackins was second on the team in scoring behind Marquis Gilstrap’s 16 points. Justin Hamilton and Diante Garrett each added 10 points for the Cyclones.
