Filipowski in action after getting hurt in court-storming incident, No. 10 Duke beats Louisville
DURHAM, N.C. -- - Kyle Filipowski was back in the starting lineup four days after sustaining a knee injury when fans stormed the court and finished with nine points, 10 rebounds and six assists as No. 10 Duke beat Louisville 84-59 on Wednesday night.
Filipowski, a preseason Associated Press All-American, was hurt following Saturday's loss at Wake Forest when he collided with a fan. Team managers and coaching staff members helped guide the sophomore standout away from the swarming fans and off the court.
Filipowski was on the court for pregame stretching with teammates on Wednesday and announced in the starting lineup about a half hour before tipoff.
Jeremy Roach scored 19 points, Mark Mitchell added 17 and Jared McCain 14 as the Blue Devils (22-6, 13-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) won for the sixth time in seven games. Duke is one game behind conference-leading North Carolina with three regular-season games remaining for both teams.
Tre White scored 15 points for Louisville (8-20, 3-13), which lost its fourth straight. Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and Ty-Laur Johnson each added 11 points. The Cardinals have lost 20 games for the second consecutive season.
Roach connected on the first two of Duke's three 3-pointers in a 54-second span of the first half, giving the Blue Devils a 26-13 lead.
Duke led 36-23 at halftime. Louisville was slowed by 29% shooting from the field.
The Blue Devils routinely had high-percentage shots and racked up 23 assists, the team's most in ACC action this season.
TIP-INS
Filipowski has never missed a game in his two college seasons, playing in 64 contests. He didn't seem hampered by the knee injury sustained over the weekend. ... Duke played without freshman guard Caleb Foster, who was wearing a boot on his right foot. He had played in all 27 previous games, making 15 starts. He averages 7.7 points per game.
BIG PICTURE
Louisville: The Cardinals have hit the brakes offensively after opening February with their best stretches of offense this season. Making just 3 of 17 attempts from 3-point range wasn't going to be a winning recipe, and the Cardinals will likely be hard-pressed to make it out of the ACC basement.
Duke: The Blue Devils didn't seem distracted by the much-debated court-storming issue that was part of the college basketball conversation in recent days after the incident last weekend. After three consecutive road games, Duke wasn't threatened in what became a runaway victory. The Blue Devils have won seven ACC games by 14 or more points.
UP NEXT
Louisville: Home against Syracuse on Saturday.
Duke: Home against Virginia on Saturday.
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