Ryan Kelly dives for a loose ball. Effort wasn't lacking in Duke's win over Albany. Credit: CHUCK LIDDY

PHILADELPHIA—With seven minutes left in the game, Duke had a 60-47 lead. Sam Rowley was headed to the free throw line for Albany, and Mason Plumlee gathered his teammates together on the floor. In one of his most vocal displays of the year, Plumlee yelled at them, an out-of-character move for the big man.

“I thought there was a breaking point there where we could either keep making mistakes, or we could take control of the game,” he said. “I told us to keep our cool and run our stuff and not lose our minds, which is easy to happen in those kinds of games.”

When asked about raising his voice, he smiled as he sat in the locker room.

“You’ve got to make sure they hear you,” he said, drawing laughs from the assembled reporters.

Mason Plumlee was one of two Blue Devils to score in double digits. Credit: CHUCK LIDDY

PHILADELPHIA— Albany coach Will Brown spent his pregame media session pumping up the Blue Devils, joking that even their managers were bigger, stronger and more physical than his team.

And the Blue Devils did eventually overpower the Great Danes in the 73-61 win. But Albany was within single digits twice in the final five minutes.

Both times, Seth Curry killed the threat.

Quinn Cook went to work leading the offense while Mike Krzyzewski looked on during practice. Credit: CHUCK LIDDY

Duke vs. Albany
When: 12:15 p.m.
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia
TV/Radio: CBS, WKIX-102.9 FM
Anything else? Quinn Cook lost his edge at the end of the season, but a walk through the Duke hall of fame and a few films sessions helped him find it.

Scouting Albany (24-10)

RPI: 128

How they got here: Automatic qualifier – America East champion

Keep an eye on: Mike Black and Jacob Iati

Defensive efforts from Quinn Cook and Tyler Thronton will be vital in containing the height-challenged Great Danes. Credit: CHUCK LIDDY

Albany (24-10)

PPG: 64.4 Allowed: 60.3

How they got here:

Automatic bid as America East champion.

The Great Danes finished fifth in their conference during the regular season, but a 61-59 upset of No. 1 Stony Brook in the semifinals and a 53-49 win over No. 2 Vermont sealed their bid. Guard Jacob Iati hit two late 3s to avenge two regular-season losses to Vermont and send Albany dancing for the first time since 2007. The Great Danes have an RPI of 128, according to ESPN, and their best win was a 63-62 victory at Washington on Nov. 13.

What they do best: