Mike Krzyzewski calls out Duke's first half shooting performance against CSU Fullerton

Before heading to the locker room against Cal State Fullerton, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski addressed his team’s performance in the first half. Despite leading the Titans 37-27 at the break, the shooting performance was not up to par in the eyes of Krzyzewski, praising CSU Fullerton in the process.

“They’re a veteran team,” Krzyzewski said. “They’re really playing hard on the defense, and it’s tough for us to get good looks. We had a couple [good shots] there at the end that we missed. Hopefully we can knock some down in the second half.”

The Blue Devils saw a 14-point lead dwindled down to six near the end of the half, but four consecutive points from Duke extended the lead back to double digits before the halftime buzzer.

While Duke isn’t shooting poorly by any stretch, currently shooting at a 51.7 percent (15-29) clip (5-13, 38.5 percent from 3), the problem for the Blue Devils is that they’ve been failing to create their own shots. To compensate for the Titans’ perimeter defense, Duke is looking toward the paint for answers.

Blue Devil bigs Mark Williams and Paolo Banchero have combined for 20 of their team’s 37 points in the first half and 10 of their 22 rebounds. 10 first half assists can be attested to the litany of entry passes from Krzyzewski’s guards. Wendell Moore Jr. has six assists at half to complement his six points.

While this game isn’t over, but a loss would end the legendary career of Krzyzewski after 42 seasons as Duke’s headman. Will CSU Fullerton pull off the upset with historical implications on the line? Or will Duke cruise into the Round of 32 against either Michigan State or Davidson? Catch the exciting finish live on CBS as the second half is set to get underway momentarily.