Don't look now, but Duke is back.Not even Virginia's suffocating defense could prevent Jayson Tatum and the Blue Devils from winning their sixth consecutive game. The freshman was unstoppable as No. 12 Duke entered John Paul Jones Arena on Wednesday and handled No. 14 Virginia 65-55.The Cavaliers are second in Ken Pomeroy'space-adjusted defensive rankings, but that didn't matter against Tatum. He finished with 28 points and eight rebounds and shot a blistering 6-of-7 from deep as one of only two Duke players who scored in double figures:College basketball writer Raphielle Johnson provided a fitting moniker for Wednesday's performance:While they are close in the standings (Duke 21-5 overall and 9-4 in the ACC, Virginia 18-7 overall and 8-5 in the ACC), these two teams are headed in opposite directions. Virginia is a mere 2-4 in its last six, while the red-hot Blue Devils are tied with Louisville and Florida State and a game back of North Carolina in the conference.The Blue Devils started the season No. 1 in the Associated Press rankings but began ACC play with a 3-4 mark. What's more, head coach Mike Krzyzewski missed time followingback surgery;the Grayson Allen tripping saga and suspension dominated headlines; and Harry Giles, Tatum and Amile Jefferson dealt with injuries.With March quickly approaching, Duke reminded the rest of the nation Wednesday how dangerous it can be.And it wasn't just Tatum's offense, as only London Perrantes (14 points) and Ty Jerome (13 points) scored in double figures against Duke's defense. Virginia shot 36.8 percent from the field and 25 percent from three-point range during the contest.The Cavaliers are like a football team that relies on the rushing attack to chew clock and hold an early lead, so it was worrisome for the Blue Devils they fell behind in the first half. As of Wednesday, Virginia was 350th out of 351 teams in Pomeroy'sadjusted tempo rankings, and it used that pace control to nab a 25-21 advantage by intermission.To Duke's credit, it responded to an initial 9-2 hole with a 10-0 run to climb back into the game, but it finished the half with seven field goals and eight turnovers.The Blue Devils played impressive defense out of the locker rooms with quarter-court pressure and turned the deficit into a 37-32 lead. The Cavaliers committed the same amount of turnovers (four) in the opening seven minutes of the second half as the entire first half.The Blue Devils were also frustrating Virginia's primary offensive weapon, as Mike Barber of the Richmond Times-Dispatch pointed out:It wasn't all welcome news for Duke, as Jefferson picked up his fourth foul early in the second half, and the crowd became re-energized after Kyle Guy crossed up Allenwho shot just 2-of-10 from the fieldand drilled a three to pull within one.Tate Frazier of The Ringer reacted to Guy's highlight:With the game hanging in the balance, the Blue Devils turned to Tatum to carry the offense. He drilled multiple threes down the stretch, one of which opened up a 51-44 advantage with less than three minutes left.Seven points aren't insurmountable in most games, but with the pace and Tatum's answering any Virginia charge, they were Wednesday. He connected on another to make it double digits in the last two minutes and essentially clinch the victory for the Blue Devils.Jeff Eisenberg of Yahoo Sports said, "Tatum singlehandedly putting Virginia away," andNCAA March Madness summarized the final stretch:Tatum's shooting was too much for the Cavaliers, and they never truly threatened from there thanks in large part to Duke's shooting 18-of-20 from the free-throw line on the way to a 44-30 advantage in the second half. What's Next'Duke returns home to face Wake Forest on Saturday. The Demon Deacons are just 6-8 in the ACC, so the Blue Devils have a chance at a straightforward victory.Virginia will travel to North Carolina for a Saturday showdown with the Tar Heels. That will be a massive game for the Cavaliers for seeding purposes and their chances at challenging for the No. 1 seed in the ACC tournament. Postgame ReactionAllen commented on Tatum's performance, perDuke Basketball: "We know what Jay can do. He was feeling it, and we all wanted to get him looks. He dropped some daggers."Krzyzewski discussed the team's turnaround, per Duke Basketball: "I am excited and proud. My guys have been working hard and listening so well. We've been so tough. We want to keep it going."Virginia's Isaiah Wilkins talked about guarding Tatum, per Barber: "I tried to make 'em tough. He made some big shots. I think I played him all right for most of the game. I gave him a couple of open looks, but he was hitting tough shots. I was trying to contest them."
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