Birthday Boy
Head coach Jon Scheyer has kept the same starting lineup for the first seven games of the season but made a significant change before this game. Graduate guard Sion James earned his first start against Auburn, replacing sophomore Caleb Foster.
James, a Tulane transfer, has been impactful this season, averaging 7.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. To make the moment even sweeter, James celebrated his birthday during the game. In his starting debut, he finished with two points and two rebounds.
Tigers’ Hot Start
Head coach Bruce Pearl’s team came out firing early. On Auburn’s first possession, Chad Baker-Mazara knocked down a three after an offensive rebound. A backdoor cut led to a dunk from Miles Kelly, and the Georgia Tech transfer drained two deep threes to silence the Cameron Indoor crowd.
His second triple forced Scheyer to call a timeout, as Auburn surged to a 13-2 lead before the first media break. However, as they have all season, the Blue Devils settled in and responded, capping a 13-3 run to make it a one-point game with under 10 minutes left in the first half.
Johni Broome vs. Maliq Brown
Johni Broome, one of the top players in the nation, is averaging 20.7 points and 12.9 rebounds per game, despite being a low-volume 3-point shooter. As the focal point of Auburn’s offense, Broome quickly became a target for Duke’s defense.
The Blue Devils countered with Maliq Brown, the reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year, to make life difficult for the 6-foot-10 senior. Broome struggled early, shooting just 2-of-9 from the field as Brown and Khaman Maluach pressured him into difficult shots near the basket.
Capitalizing at the Line
In addition to Isaiah Evans’ shooting barrage, Duke has focused on driving inside and drawing fouls against Auburn’s defense. The Blue Devils shot 8-for-11 from the free-throw line in the first half, aligning with their season average of 73.3%.
This aggressive play led to foul trouble for Auburn, with Broome and center Dylan Cardwell among four Tigers picking up two fouls in the first half. On the other hand, Duke only committed five fouls in the first half, a marked improvement over their game against Seattle last week.
Player of the Half: Isaiah Evans
For the first time in a ranked matchup this season, Scheyer turned to freshman Isaiah Evans in the first half, and Evans seized the opportunity. The freshman came in, ran off a double screen, and drained his first three-pointer. He quickly followed it up with five more critical triples, with his third giving Duke their first lead of the game.
Evans significantly shifted the momentum, especially as Auburn’s Kelly and Tahaad Pettiford were performing well. He also made key contributions on defense, including hustling to save a rebound from going out of bounds.
