The Duke Blue Devils were able to walk away with a massive victory on Saturday night against the Michigan Wolverines on the road, 68-63.

While many fans were concerned with the team’s ability to close out tight matchups, head coach Jon Scheyer and his squad were able to maintain a lead for the entire second half against the No. 1 team in the nation.

Freshman star Cameron Boozer played a key role in the team’s stout performance, recording 18 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists. In addition to the prolific forward, sophomore guard Isaiah Evans also helped out on the offensive side of the ball, finishing with 14 points and two rebounds.

It’s clear that both Boozer and Evans’ efforts paved the way to a victory over the Wolverines, but Saturday’s low-scoring affair was dictated by multiple other factors.

This season, Michigan has been one of the best teams in college basketball, largely due to the program’s success within the paint.

The Wolverines average 41 rebounds per game this year, which is the 13th-most in college basketball. With 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara's dominance down low, combined with terrific play from forwards Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan forces teams to play on the perimeter.

However, this was not the case when the Blue Devils visited Ann Arbor last weekend.

One of the main reasons why Duke had control for a majority of the contest was their efforts within the paint. The Blue Devils managed to beat the Wolverines at their own game, out rebounding them 41-28. Mara was limited to just four rebounds in his 22 minutes of play, while Lendeborg and Johnson could not pick up the slack of the team’s star big man.

In addition to Duke’s tremendous efforts on the glass, the Blue Devils did most of their damage on offense from the interior, instead of trying to win from beyond the arc. Michigan finished with seven blocks between its dynamic trio, but Boozer was still able to create offense from inside the three-point line.

Saturday’s win over Michigan will go a long way when it comes to Selection Sunday. However, the win also proves that Duke is fully capable of winning close games and can defeat opponents by dictating the style of play.

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