NEW YORK — Because it was playing two games in three days, Duke wanted to use the final two rounds of the NIT Tip Off to simulate a Sweet Sixteen or Final Four.
Now if the seventh-ranked Blue Devils can continue simulate their 68-59 victory over No. 13 Connecticut in Friday's title game at Madison Square Garden - at least the first 30 minutes or so of it -- they might just make things interesting come March.
UConn cut a one-20-point deficit to single digits in the final minutes, but in the end, couldn't overcome a solid defensive effort by the Blue Devils that gave them a big cushion early.
After holding Arizona State to 38 points in the final 35 minutes of Wednesday's semifinal, Duke frustrated the Huskies in 37 percent shooting. UConn also made only 11 of their 19 free throw attempts in the second half.
Jon Scheyer led Duke with 19 points; Nolan Smith chipped in 16.
Meanwhile, Kyle Singler saw his streak of 20 straight games with double digit points cease; he finished with 6.
Duke shot only 28.9 percent in the first half, but found itself ahead 37-28 at halftime thanks to a 15-5 advantage on the offensive boards (which translated to a 9-2 advantage in second-chance points) and a half-ending 8-2 run. During that roughly four minute stretch, both Miles Plumlee and Kyle Singler picked up their third fouls, and UConn Coach Jim Calhoun pick up a technical.
Leading 39-32 early in the second half, Duke then went on a 14-2 run that included four free throws from Lance Thomas, a 3-pointer from Scheyer and an attempted dunk-back from Smith that eventually rolled through the net.
Duke led by as many as 20 points, but with 2:32 left, UConn's Stanley Robinson dunked to cut its deficit to 62-52. After a Scheyer turnover, Jerome Dyson buried one of two free throws to cut it to single digits.
Robbi Pickeral has covered ACC sports for The News & Observer since 2003. She can be reached at 
