CHUCK LIDDY-cliddy@newsobserver.com
Duke's Kyle Singler (12) gets a hug from coach Mike Krzyzewski near the end of the Blue Devils 77-74 win over Miami 77-74. Singler scored 27 points to lead the Devils.
GREENSBORO -- Duke junior forward Kyle Singler sank his second 3-pointer in 33 seconds, then grinned at Miami’s fans as he strutted back down the court, J.J. Redick style.
After a miserable close to the first half for top-seeded Duke that included a technical foul call against coach Mike Krzyzewski, Singler regained control of the game for the Blue Devils early in the second half.
Singler’s 27 points helped Duke survive a scare in a 77-74 defeat of Miami on Saturday afternoon in the ACC tournament semifinals.
Duke (28-5) will meet the Georgia Tech-N.C. State winner at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Greensboro Coliseum in an attempt to win its second ACC tournament title in a row and its ninth in 12 years.
Jon Scheyer added 16 points and Nolan Smith 12 for Duke, while Durand Scott’s 23 points led Miami.
Singler lifted Duke, scoring 17 in the second half and calming the Blue Devils after an unsettling end to the first half. Underdog, No. 12 seed Miami (20-13) scored 17 of the last 19 points of the first half to lead 35-32 at halftime.
Duke led 30-18 with 5:30 remaining in the first half, but Malcolm Grant led a charge that had pro-Duke and anti-Duke fans howling heading into halftime.
Grant scored seven points in the final 3:10 of the half, including a deep 3-pointer with four seconds remaining that gave Miami a 35-32 lead at halftime.
Krzyzewski had been complaining to referee Gary Maxwell despite Maxwell’s repeated request he stop as Duke was called for 11 fouls to Miami’s six in the first half.
Referee Roger Ayers decided he’d heard enough and called a technical on Krzyzewski with 2:07 remaining in the first half. Shortly afterward, after Maxwell called Nolan Smith for palming the ball while dribbling, Krzyzewski removed his suit coat on the bench.
He coached the remainder of the game without it. With the way Singler played in the second half, Krzyzewski could have coached in a Hawaiian shirt and it wouldn’t have made a difference.
Singler sank consecutive 3-pointers within 33 seconds to open the second half to give the Blue Devils a led they never relinquished. He scored 10 points in the first six minutes of the second half.
Guard Jon Scheyer contributed a brief burst with seven points of his own in 75 seconds to stretch the lead to double digits. Then Singler added a 3-pointer from the baseline, and soon the lead had ballooned to 58-42.
Despiote playing its third game in three days, Miami fought back again behind Grant and Scott, but couldn’t get closer than three points as Duke made 7 of 8 free throws in the final 42 seconds.
Staff photographer Robert Willett contributed.
