
- File photo by George A. Hoffman Jr.
- Sidney Lowe, in the optimistic bloom of October
“I’m disappointed in our starts the last four games, but I’m not going to say it’s rock bottom,” Lowe said after the 76—52 loss. “There’s still a lot to play for.”
The Wolfpack actually played as though that were true in the second half. They outscored the Devils by five, with the Devils shooting just 20 percent from the floor and making only one three-pointer. The Pack turned the ball over less, too. Duke’s Kyle Singler made only one shot during the second half after scoring 10 points in the first; Nolan Smith missed all seven of his attempts. The Devils took quick shots and played without the cross-court intensity that had given them such a jolt in the first half. Still, they left the court with a comfortable win, their 21st this year.
“It’s difficult [to main that intensity in the second half],” said Krzyzewski. “But It wasn’t us not playing as well as much as I thought they played well. Good thing we had a 29-point cushion.”