Defending national champions Duke trail UNC Wilmington at halftime in the NCAA Tournament First Round
The Duke Blue Devils ran through the NCAA Tournament last season and were ultimately cutting down the nets as national champs. However, they lost their core from last year and have been inconsistent, though successful, in their defense this season. However, their defense might end early as they trail the UNC Wilmington Seahawks at halftime in their First Round matchup.
With the Seahawks playing a frenetic pace against a shallow Duke roster and pressing them defensively off of made buckets, UNC Wilmington was fantastic in the first half as they were led by the strong play of guard Chris Flemmings and Denzel Ingram, including 6-12 shooting from long range.
Another factor in the first half was the lack of shooting from Duke as they were just 3-10 from long range. Though undersized, the UNC Wilmington defense really caused a lot of problems for Duke in the first half. That’s why the two teams went into halftime with the Seahawks up 43-40.
Obviously Duke has the more top-tier talent on their roster and that could prove to be a factor coming out of the break. However, with the way that UNC Wilmington controls pace and defended in the first half, there could be an upset brewing in the first game of the NCAA Tournament first round with the defending champs in Duke trailing.
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