Jon Scheyer on first half vs. Houston: 'I love the fight'

Just over three minutes into the first half, Duke trailed No. 1 seed Houston 8-0. Then, the Blue Devils awoke from their slumber. Ahead 23-22 at the half, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer evaluated his team’s first 20 minutes.

“I love the fight,” Scheyer said. “That’s what you have to do against these guys. It’s gonna be a 40-minute fight. We obviously got knocked back right away. But, for us to come out and take the lead in the half. We just to get regrouped and have some poise and get stops. That’s what it’s going to come down to.”

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Houston’s defense has bothered Duke thus far. Duke recorded nine turnovers in the first half, which Houston translated into 10 points. Nonetheless, Duke forward Kyle Filipowski fended off the Cougars, tallying six points and five rebounds in the first half.

He wasn’t alone. Duke’s first-half scoring effort was widespread. Six Blue Devils stamped their names in the scoring column in the first half. Of course, it’s easier to score when the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year is forced to leave the game with injury.

With 6:38 left in the first half of the game, Cougars standout Jamal Shead went down with an apparent right ankle injury. Shead suffered the injury when he went up for a fast break layup against the Blue Devils.

It was a massive loss for the Cougars. Houston averages 13.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and a team-high 6.4 assists per game. He’s also a headache for opponents on defense, averaging 2.2 steals per contest. He recorded two points and three assists while shooting 1-5 from the field before leaving the game with his injury.

Jon Scheyer reveals how ACC Tournament loss helped team

Whether or not Shead returns in the second half, Duke will look to run away with the win and advance to the Elite Eight. The team certainly looked excellent through its first two games in the Big Dance. Earlier this week, Scheyer explained how important Duke’s early ACC Tournament exit has been to the team’s run.

“You know, our guys talk about it all the time. They talk about having humility. This game can humble you. I don’t care if you’re a coach, if you’re a player,” Scheyer said. “Our last regular-season game, the ACC Tournament game? You have to have great humility to understand what you have to do better.”