No. 7 Duke showed a few minutes of sloppiness before suffocating South Carolina Upstate with its array of defensive looks Friday night.
After seeing the upstart Spartans score the game’s first seven points, the Blue Devils ripped off scoring runs of 11 and 14 points in the first half to open a 25-point halftime lead and roll to an 84-38 nonconference basketball win at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Rapidly racking up steals and blocked shots, the Blue Devils (2-0) limited USC Upstate (1-1) to 27.8% shooting from the field while the Spartans turned the ball over 23 times. Duke blocked seven shots and recorded 15 steals while tallying 39 points alone directly off USC Upstate’s turnovers.
Kyle Filipowski led Duke in scoring with 15 points as the Blue Devils saw five players score in double-figures. Mark Mitchell scored 13 while Jacob Grandison scored 12 points in a reserve role. Starters Ryan Young (11 points) and Jeremy Roach (10 points) also reached double figures.
The Blue Devils, after trailing 7-0, scored 14 consecutive points. That was part of a 39-9 explosion that turned the game lopsided and allowed Duke to lead 43-18 at halftime.
Along the way, 7-foot-1 freshman center Dereck Lively made his season debut for the Blue Devils. The nation’s No. 1 recruit in the 2022 class, Lively missed Duke’s 71-44 season-opening win over Jacksonville on Monday due to a strained right calf muscle.
“They punched us first but we responded well,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “There are things we need to do better, but overall a good performance. I thought Dereck gave us a spark. He can really run the floor and athletically he can change the game.”
Here’s what we learned from Duke’s second consecutive win under Scheyer in his first season as the Blue Devils’ head coach:
Duke’s Dereck Lively II (1) reacts after slamming in two during the first half of Duke’s game against USC Upstate at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com
Hello, Dereck Lively
Duke’s medical staff took a cautious approach before clearing Lively to return to play for the Blue Devils. He injured his calf muscle in practice four weeks ago, delaying his debut.
He didn’t start against USC Upstate, but entered the game with 15:57 left in the first half and scored the first four points of his career on two dunks, one on a nifty screen-and-roll play off a pass from Roach.
Projected as a lottery pick in next summer’s NBA Draft, Lively played 15 minutes, scoring four points with two rebounds.
“I was really just excited to be out there,” Lively said. “We’re right there. Feel good physically. Feel good mentally. I’m trying to make sure my coordination gets better every day.”
In a couple of stretches, Duke had Lively and Filipowski, his fellow 7-foot freshman center, on the court together, just as the two big men had expected when they committed to play at Duke this season.
“No matter how long it was, it was great to play with Dereck,” Filipowski said. “That’s the reason why I wanted him to come here as well and I was trying to recruit him.”
Regarding his injury, the only scary moment for Lively and Duke fans came late in the first half. Lively successfully defended Jordan Gainey’s shot attempt in the lane and grabbed a defensive rebound with 58 seconds left until halftime. He began favoring his right leg and immediately pointed to the bench for a substitution.
Scheyer inserted Ryan Young into the game and Lively began receiving medical attention on bench. Duke’s head men’s basketball trainer, Jose Fonseca, helped Lively stretch the calf muscle out with a resistance band.
After halftime, Lively jogged on to the court with his teammates, showing no ill-effects from the incident. He returned to the game with 16:06 remaining.
“Just a little tweak,” Lively said. “Had to make sure everything was good. I got back out there, nothing happened and nothing felt different. Great to be back.”
Duke’s Jeremy Roach (3) drives in for two points during Duke’s 84-38 victory over USC Upstate at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com
Roach shows leadership
Duke’s first two possessions ended the same way, with Roach losing the ball on steals and USC Upstate sinking breakaway layups on the other end.
The Blue Devils’ captain, though, settled down quickly and so did his team.
Roach finished the first half with eight points and six assists, fueling the run that put the Blue Devils up by 25 points at halftime.
After those early miscues, he didn’t turn the ball over the rest of the game.
Scheyer said he and Roach made eye contact after that tough stretch but neither was concerned.
“Jeremy did a really good job to after that initial start that he had,” Scheyer said. “He gave me a look. He said, `I got you.’ Actually, I didn’t even say anything more to him. He did a really good job of responding.”
Duke’s Kyle Filipowski (30) celebrates after slamming in two during the second half of Duke’s 84-38 victory over USC Upstate at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com
Filipowski looking steady
Two games, two double-doubles for Filipowski in his Duke career.
He made 4 of 11 shots against USC Upstate, so improved efficiency is expected. But he grabbed 10 rebounds and played 21 turnover-free minutes. He also hit 7 of 8 free throws, a good sign for sure.
Filipowski and Marvin Bagley are the only Duke freshmen to open their careers with consecutive double-doubles. Bagley did it in November 2017.
Duke’s Dereck Lively II (1) laughs while talking with Dariq Whitehead during the second half of Duke’s 84-38 victory over USC Upstate at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com
Whitehead update
Scheyer said 6-6 freshman forward Dariq Whitehead, still unavailable for games after fracturing his right foot on Aug. 29, still isn’t necessarily close to returning to the Blue Devils.
While Whitehead participated in drills involving contact this week, he’s yet to practice in 5-on-5 situations. He needs to do that successfully, without any injury issues, before he’ll be cleared to play in games for Duke.
“He’s progressing each day and still hasn’t done gone five on five,” Scheyer said. ”That’ll be the next big step for him.”
This story was originally published November 11, 2022 at 8:32 PM.
Steve Wiseman was named Raleigh News & Observer and Durham Herald-Sun sports editor in May 2025. He covered Duke athletics, beginning in 2010, prior to his current assignment. In the Associated Press Sports Editors national contest, he placed in the top 10 in beat writing in 2019, 2021 and 2022, breaking news in 2019, event coverage in 2025 and explanatory writing in 2018. Before coming to Durham in 2010, Steve worked for The State (Columbia, SC), Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, S.C.), The Sun Herald (Biloxi, Miss.), Charlotte Observer and Hickory (NC) Daily Record covering beats including the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints, University of South Carolina athletics and the S.C. General Assembly. He’s won numerous state-level press association awards. Steve graduated from Illinois State University in 1989.
