R.Kelly Explodes for 36 as No.3 Duke Squeaks by No.5 Miami

For someone who's been riding the bench for the last two months, Duke's Ryan Kelly sure didn't look the part.

The senior forward shot a career-high 36 points, knocking down 10 of 14 from the field with a staggering 7 of 9 from downtown, as the Blue Devils (25-4, 12-4 ACC) got revenge on their ACC foe inside Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The Hurricanes (23-5, 14-2 ACC) were led by another impressive performance by sophomore Shane Larkin, but at times you were wondering if he was putting too much of the team on his back, trying to make too many plays instead of letting the game come to him. A pair of missed threes to close out the game could have led to another Miami upset, or at the very least, another tie, but it wasn't meant to be.

Larkin's effort was matched by fellow teammates Scott, Jones, and the rangy Kadji, but center Reggie Johnson was practically non-existent for the 17 minutes he saw action. Going 0-5 while adding a mere 5 rebounds, Johnson often looked unfocused as a few Larkin dishes clanked off his hands and chest. More frustratingly, the fire that we've come to see each and every game just seemed to never spark at any point he was on the floor.

Behind an offensively struggling Seth Curry, things didn't go smoothly for Duke in the early going, who were being beaten to loose balls and getting dominated on the boards, but they hung in there. Steady performances from Quinn Cook and Miles Plumlee helped keep it close as the Blue Devils only trailed by 2 going into the half.

It was that second 20 minutes that Miami seemed to get careless with the ball, and every Ryan Kelly three pointer made them pay and no hand in the face or dislodged orthotic was going to stop him.

Despite the 37-25 disparity in rebounding, Duke led in FG% (52-43.8), assists, and blocks to help keep rule over their home court. What doesn't show up in the stat sheet is the extra effort in disrupting passing lanes to prevent Miami's Head Coach, Jim Larranaga, from achieving his rule of thumb that 16 assists a game all but guarantees a win.

Overall, the match-up between the two ACC teams lived up to the hype it deserved. Both squads displayed why they'll be hunting for a 1 seed later this month, and with the way things have been shaking out across the nation, both are just as capable of making a serious title run.