Duke came into John Paul Jones Arena knowing it was going to be grudge match and knowing that stacking wins right now is crucial in getting a top seed in the ACC Tournament and the double bye. UVA finds themselves desperate for big wins and sweeping the Blue Devils would be a huge boost to their fleeting tournament hopes.
The Blue Devils spent much of the first game pressuring the perimeter and making Kihei Clark into a pocket passer and he carved them up with 9 assists. Duke defensively came out with a different strategy to make the Cavaliers, who came in shooting the 3 at a 30% clip, into a 3 point shooting team.