:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45959680/usa-today-8470009.0.jpg)
This game was over from the start of the opening tip for San Diego State. Duke started off strong with an 8-0 and then 18-6, and never looked back in this game winning, 68-49. One part of the issue was that a bout of the stomach bug which went around the locker room with coaches and players taking ill.
It might not have mattered if San Diego State was 100 percent as Duke was dominating down low with potential No. 1 NBA Draft pick in Jahlil Okafor who scored 26 points on 12 of 16 shooting. Nearly everything that went down low to Okafor was good and it didn't matter who the Aztecs put on him, and he started off strong to get Duke going at the beginning of the game and he set the pace.
That potent defense by the Aztecs played well in stretches however Duke was able to shoot 54 percent from the field, but in the first half San Diego State did not force any turnovers. They did force eight in the second half and made the game interesting with a run that cut the Blue Devils lead to seven points with 12 minutes left at 44-37. Duke put an end to that by going on a 11-0 run to effectively end the game.
The Duke defense seemed to be more dominant on Sunday with six blocks, seven steals and forcing 11 turnovers. The Aztecs were held to 32 percent from the field and missed a good amount of easy buckets.
San Diego State was settling for three-pointers in this game and even though a lot of them were good lucks they went 2 of 13 from beyond the arc.
The offense did not look the same as what they have done all year. Part of that had to do wit the Duke defense which had an answer for San Diego State. The one stretch that San Diego State had involved making Okafor move around on defense but that only lasted for a handful of possessions.
The sickness is only partly to blame because Duke is that good and made a very good San Diego State team look silly at times on both ends of the court.
The Aztecs were led by Winston Shepard had 13 points on 5 of 10 shooting, while J.J. O'Brien struggled with just eight points on 2 of 10 shooting and Skylar Spencer had just two points.