News & Observer | newsobserver.com | 2008 NCAA Men's Bracket

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NEW YORK — Duke earned the right to play in its first title game of the season by beating Southern Illinois 83-58 in the semifinals of the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.

Duke (4-0) will face the winner of the late game — Michigan vs. No. 4 UCLA — in the finals at 7 p.m. today. Southern Illinois (2-1) will face the loser in the consolation game at 5:30 p.m.

Duke had to wade through some offensive problems in the first half and get over a scary moment in the second.

Duke sophomore forward Kyle Singler, the team’s leading scorer was heading for a breakaway basket with 6:40 left in the game. He dunked but was intentionally fouled on the play by SIU forward Tony Boyle. Singler fell backward, lost his feet and hit his head on the court on his way down.

Singler made the free throw to put Duke up 63-49. He continued to play and finished with 13 points.

Duke junior Gerald Henderson, who’d started slow this season, broke loose. He scored all of his 20 points in the second half, making free throws and 3-pointers and one quick, flashy dunk on a quick move past Fay.

Duke led 29-23 at the half despite making just six field goals in the first 20 minutes. Southern Illinois came out after halftime and countered with 3-pointers from Bryan Mullins and Carlton Fay.

Duke was still leading 32-29 after Fay hit his shot for 3 of his 17 when Singler, who’d only played 10 minutes while sitting with two fouls, drove baseline on Fay and scored on a reverse layup.

Actually, it was a good sign that Singler could sit without the Devils descending into crisis mode. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski could afford to let Singler sit on the fouls because junior center Brian Zoubek was doing his job inside.

On the play after Singler’s drive, Zoubek threw a nice outlet pass on a missed SIU shot to a fast-moving Nolan Smith. Smith finished with the first showy dunk of his Duke career to give Duke a seven-point cushion and force SIU coach Chris Lowery to call a timeout with 17:08 left in the game.

The Salukis would cut the lead to five but wouldn’t get any closer. Big men Nick Evans and Tony Boyle already had four fouls when Duke led 48-43 with 10:46 left in the game. Duke was also already in the bonus by that time.

The Devils hinted at some offensive stagnation while working out a three-point victory over Rhode Island on Sunday but it reared just as ugly a head against the Salukis.

In the first half on Sunday, Duke made just four field goals in the first 17 minutes. In the first half on Thursday, the Devils had made just five in the first 15 minutes.

Singler had blamed himself on Sunday, saying he should have been passing more. But neither team shot well or looked all that efficient working the ball in the first half.

Duke wasn’t getting shots, much less good ones while shooting 6-for-19 from the floor in the first half.

Zoubek and Jon Scheyer scored nine first-half points but Duke spent the first half the way it did on Sunday against Rhode Island — not executing what is supposed to be a fast-moving, high-octane offense Against the Salukis, the woeful output wasn't for lack of trying. Zoubek, Smith and Singler all picked up offensive fouls while trying to drive to the hoop.

Singler and Henderson, a team captain who’s supposed to be a key player, played just 10 and 11 first-half minutes.

Krzyzewski had hoped the bright lights, big city vibe in New York would get Henderson going.

It did after halftime when Henderson came alive by hitting the 3s the Salukis gave him then driving to the hoop when they came up to guard him.