NCAA: Duke Destroys Hartford 54-84, Now 8-1

 The Duke Blue Devils are back on track and have been taking the NCAA by storm once again. Their latest victims, Hartford University. The visiting Blue Devils, led by R.J. Barrett and Zio Williamson, Duke cruised to an easy 54-84 win over the Hawks.

Credit goes to coach Mike Krzyzewski, who rallied his troops after a sluggish first half. As if it was as simple as throwing a switch, Duke did a 180-degree turnaround and blew out Hartford in the second half. They kicked up the defensive intensity by several notches and locked down Hartford’s key players.

George Blagojevic was limited to nine points on 4-of-14 shooting. Jason Dunne led Hartford with 12 points but on 4-of-14 shooting. Travis Weatherington was virtually stopped as he scored five points on 2-of-10 shooting. Rest assured, it was not a pretty sight. At least not from where the Hawks were standing.

R.J. Barrett heeded the call of his coach, which was emphatically reinforced by a slammed chair before the halftime break ended. Barrett posted an awe-inspiring line that featured 27 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, three triples and one block. His “partner in crime,” Zion Williamson came through with a double-double performance of his own that was highlighted by 18 points, 12 rebounds, three steals and one block. Undoubtedly, the Barrett-Williamson duo is the most imposing one-two combination in the NCAA today. So far, their pairing has been a recipe for dominant success. Duke is winning again and in impressive fashion. They’re one of the more fun teams to watch but can this team make it all the way and take home an NCAA title? Time will tell.