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DURHAM, N.C. — It didn’t take too long for head coach Adrian Autry to make a substitution Tuesday versus Duke.

Chris Bell picked up a blocking foul just 15 seconds into the game. Two minutes later, he picked up his second and Autry brought in Quadir Copeland. Thirty-five seconds later, Maliq Brown checked into the game for Naheem McLeod, who the Blue Devils poked the ball loose from throughout the game.

Through the Orange’s first 14 games, Autry has utilized the starting lineup of Judah Mintz, J.J. Starling, Justin Taylor, Bell and McLeod. And against Duke, the latter three struggled. Brown entered for McLeod and put up a career-high 26 points and added seven rebounds, proving himself as a more reliable option in the frontcourt.

“He’s kind of just starting to understand how good he can be,” Autry said of Brown Tuesday. “I think our team is starting to understand how we can use him. He can do a lot of things for us, we’ve just got to surround him and help him.”

In its 86-66 win over Syracuse (10-4, 1-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), No. 14 Duke (10-3, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) limited the production of Taylor, McLeod and Bell, as they combined for just three points and were nonfactors. In their previous game versus Pittsburgh, they only combined for eight. Duke’s Mark Mitchell matched up well down low with McLeod, and forced Autry to bring in Brown, who found his way inside with easy dunks and layups, securing his fourth straight game scoring double figures off the bench.

The recent performances by Brown, and some of the starters, brings up the thought of potentially changing one or two players to the starting five — or at least changing it conducive to Syracuse’s opponents.

With its usual starting five on the floor, SU quickly trailed 7-1 against the Blue Devils. Bell had missed a 3-pointer from the right wing, and within six seconds, Jeremy Roach was on the other end at the free-throw line after scoring a fast break layup with a foul. In the stretch, Starling tried to find McLeod, but Jared McCain stole the ball. The ensuing possession resulted in a foul by McLeod on Mitchell. McLeod played just eight minutes and racked up three fouls.

Then, Syracuse rattled off an 8-0 run — a 3-pointer by Copeland, a layup by Brown and a Starling 3. Brown (33) and Copeland (26) played the third and fourth-most minutes, respectively, against the Blue Devils, behind Mintz and Starling.

Now, the starting five doesn’t need to — and shouldn’t — change fully. The backcourt pairing from Mintz and Starling has been proven effective, but in recent games, other players have proven worthy to fill some of those final three spots.

While Autry can put out any given five players on the floor — taking into consideration factors like foul trouble — the combinations that been effective are with Brown and Copeland on the floor, joined by Mintz and Starling. The recent production — Taylor’s one point in 22 minutes or Bell’s two points and three fouls in 11 minutes against Duke — from Bell, Taylor and McLeod has not warranted a spot in the starting five.

The game was won when…

Duke went on a 13-2 run midway through the second half, taking a 62-49 advantage. Starling tried to find Copeland, but he couldn’t fully grasp the ball, allowing Tyrese Proctor to steal and assist a McCain 3-pointer on the other end.

Similarly, after Copeland dribbled into a cluttered area and lost the ball, McCain charged the offensive transition and pulled up with a right-wing 3. The Blue Devils scored 26 points off of Syracuse’s 17 turnovers, including 21 fast break points. Duke’s 3-point shooting and Syracuse’s live ball turnovers paved the way for its 51-point second half to sink SU.

“We’ve done such a better job impacting the ball…but also being active off the ball,” Duke head coach Jon Scheyer said. “I thought we did a good job in and out of our gaps, getting in passing lanes but also having active lanes.”

Quote of the night: Autry on his team’s spacing

“I thought some of the times our spacing wasn’t where it needed to be,” Autry said. “We just had live-ball turnovers that led to 3-point shots.”

Autry summed it up best, and his players like Taylor and Brown agreed. Autry said his team’s spacing offensively was the “biggest culprit” Tuesday. The Orange clogged themselves in the lane occasionally, where Duke had multiple defenders in reach and forced turnovers. The Blue Devils punished Syracuse by getting open shots on the offensive transition, which Scheyer described as “contagious.”

Stat to know: 100%

It was a tale of two halves for Duke from beyond the arc — the 3-point shooting went from zero to being the hero in win. The Blue Devils shot an abysmal 0-of-9 from range in the first half, before rattling off a perfect 8-of-8 in the second half. McCain led the way with four 3-pointers, while Roach and Proctor both added a couple.

“I thought Jared McCain just had some back-breaking 3s,” Scheyer said. “It’s a Duke shot — that transition wing 3. Those are 3s I grew up watching JJ Redick take.”

Game ball: Brown

Despite the 20-point defeat, Brown had a career-high 26 points, shooting 11-of-16 from the field — his previous best was 18 versus Georgia Tech last season. Brown also led the team with seven rebounds. Scoring the bulk of his baskets inside, he had a few dunks and layups, plus draining a 3-pointer once the game was out of reach in the final stretch.

He’s become a valuable piece off the bench for Syracuse, recording double-digit points in the last four games. Brown is shooting at a near 74% clip from the field and has developed into a consistent option down low.

“He did a great job tonight,” Taylor said. “(Brown) kind of showed all facets of his game and kept us in the game for sure. Credit to him for what he did tonight.”

Three Final Points

Mitchell’s career-night

Brown wasn’t the only one to have a career night. Duke’s Mitchell dropped a career-high 21 points, 18 of which came in the first half — his previous best was 20 versus Bucknell. Because of Duke’s first-half struggles from beyond the arc, the Blue Devils turned to Mitchell inside, where he bullied SU’s frontcourt. After Duke briefly trailed 20-19, Mitchell rattled off the Blue Devils’ next eight points, featuring a dunk down low and a 3-point play.

Filipowski overcomes foul trouble

Duke starting center Kyle Filipowski played just seven minutes in the first half, exiting early after picking up two fouls. In that first half, he didn’t register a single point and took just two shots from the field.

But the final 20 minutes were an entirely different story for Filipowski. He played the full duration of the second half, scoring all 12 of his points while pulling in seven rebounds. He only picked up one more foul as well, helping him stay on the court to help spur the Blue Devils’ dominant second half, where they outscored Syracuse by 18.

’Fixable things’

Autry said at his postgame press conference that everything the Orange did wrong versus the Blue Devils is fixable and that the turnovers were “self-inflicted.” He said his team is still growing, and Taylor said spacing is something that Syracuse works on frequently. Duke changed defensive looks here and there to throw off Syracuse in the second half, and even displayed a four-guard lineup.

“All the mistakes that happened today are fixable things,” Autry said. “It wasn’t about our shooting, it was about us taking care of the basketball.”

Next up: Boston College

Syracuse now has an eight-day break to regroup before hosting Boston College (9-4, 0-2 ACC) on Jan. 10 for the first time this season. The Eagles, most recently falling to Wake Forest 84-78 at home, visit Georgia Tech on Jan. 6 before traveling to the JMA Wireless Dome for the second of a three-game road trip. Quinten Post leads BC with 18.4 points per game and 8.1 rebounds, notching five double-doubles so far this season. The Orange are winners of 10 straight over the Eagles.

Published on January 3, 2024 at 6:20 pm

Contact Cole: colebambini@gmail.com | @ColeBambini