Jon Scheyer challenges his team for close to first half

The Duke Blue Devils jumped all over the Illinois Fighting Illini in their matchup in Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. The third-ranked Devils poured in 54 points in the first half, the most they’ve scored in a half all season long. They knocked down 50 percent of their three-point (5-10) shots and dominated the glass, with a 14-4 advantage on second chance points. Going into halftime, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer spoke with Allison Williams of FOX.

What’s led to such good looks offensively? “I thought we were playing with a good deal of confidence. Getting out in transition. The guys are sharing it. Gotta close better. But sharing it has been great,” Scheyer explained.

How has his team responded to the big stage of playing in Madison Square Garden, one of the most famous basketball arenas in the world? “We’ve seen a lot this year. And it’s prepared us for these kinds of moments. I thought we were ready to play. We gotta close the half better. But they’re competitive, man. They compete. And I’m very proud of them, but we’ve got a long way to go here,” Scheyer finished.

Duke jumped out to a commanding 54-37 lead after the first half. Illinois shot 0-16 from three-point range in the opening half. That’s simply not going to get it done against a team of Duke’s caliber. The Fighting Illini did have 28 points in the paint in the opening half, compared to 24 for Duke.

The post Jon Scheyer challenges his team for close to first half appeared first on On3.