Filipowski, Roach Carry Duke Past No. 17 Miami, 68-66 – NBC 6 South Florida

Jeremy Roach’s return to action couldn’t have come at a better time for Duke.

The Blue Devils needed his offense and late-game defense to pull out a 68-66 win over No. 17 Miami on Saturday.

“I’m a leader and I’m captain of this team,” said Roach, who scored 14 points in his first game in more than two weeks. “I’m just happy to be out there with my brothers. Getting a win like that is big for our confidence.”

Kyle Filipowski added 17 points and 14 rebounds for Duke (14-5, 5-3 Atlantic Coast Conference), Tyrese Proctor had 11 points. Dariq Whitehead added 10 points for the Blue Devils, who played their first game of the season without a national ranking and got their 10th home win in as many outings.

Jordan Miller’s 19 points and Nijel Pack’s 18 were tops for Miami (15-4, 6-3), which has lost three of its last five games.

Duke held a 64-57 edge then went the final five minutes without a field goal.

With less than a minute remaining, Miami missed three shots on one possession with a chance to tie or go ahead. Filipowski drained both ends of a 1-and-1 with 18.2 seconds remaining to make it 68-64. Roach came up with a steal Miami’s next possession.

“Got to stay poised to the very end,” Filipowski said.

A last-second heave by Miami from near three-quarter court was well off the mark to end the game.

“Just gutting it out, getting loose balls and finishing plays,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said.

Roach, a junior guard who missed the past three games and four games overall with a toe injury, gave Duke stability down the stretch. Miami coach Jim Larrañaga said it would have been better to face the Blue Devils a week ago.

“I think the game came down to Jeremy Roach coming in and going 6 for 10 and taking over the team,” Larrañaga said.

Roach logged more than 27 minutes, delivering four assists.

“Probably played him more than I thought we would,” Scheyer said. “He was making some big plays, and just down the stretch felt like we needed him in there.”

Miami made 30.3% of its second-half shots, but 10 3-pointers kept the Hurricanes in range.

Miami guard Isaiah Wong was held to seven points, well below his team-leading 16.7 points per game. Scheyer said “we got lucky with some of his misses.”

Neither team led by more than five points in the first half and the score was tied at 38 at half. Duke went up 55-47 courtesy of a 10-0 run as Miami endured a scoring drought of more than five minutes. Duke held a 57-49 lead before both teams hit offensive doldrums.

WOUNDED, BUT READY

Roach came off the bench for the first time this season and about four minutes later, teammate Jaylen Blakes, donning a black mask because of a broken nose suffered earlier in the week in practice, joined the action. Blakes didn’t score in five minutes of playing time.

BIG PICTURE

Miami: The Hurricanes saw their solid early shooting touch go away and they didn’t have enough answers offensively. They shot 34.9% from the field, including 12-for-42 on 2-point attempts.

Duke: Nothing has come easy for the Blue Devils this month, and this game was more of the same. It was a needed bounce-back after a week gap in the schedule and the next two on the road.

TIP-INS

Four of Miami’s last five games have been decided by six points or less. … Duke, when playing without a ranking, captured its fourth consecutive victory when facing a ranked team. … Filipowski boosted his double-double total to nine, which is tops among freshmen in the country.

UP NEXT

Miami: At Florida State on Tuesday for the second of three straight road games.

Duke: At Virginia Tech on Monday.

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