Entering halftime, Mike Krzyzewski and the Duke Blue Devils were facing a potential upset as they trailed UNC-Wilmington. However, star big man Marshall Plumlee came out fired up in the second half and helped to lift the Blue Devils to the second round behind a 23 point, 8 rebound performance.
After the game, Plumlee’s teammate, freshman Brandon Ingram, head coach Mike Krzyzewski came into the locker room at halftime and specifically challenged Plumlee.
Brandon Ingram on halftime: “Coach went right at Marshall. Marshall responded. We knew he didn’t want to lose. He willed us to win.”
— Stephen Wiseman (@stevewisemanNC) March 17, 2016
Plumlee responded and his energy sparked a big second half comeback.
Duke's Grayson Allen said, grading out of 10, "Marshall breaks the scale" when it came to his halftime intensity from Plumlee @TheDevilsDen
— Sam Hellman (@SamHellman247) March 17, 2016
This is just another example of why it’s great to have an experienced leader on your team. With a head coach like Mike Krzyzewski and a fifth-year senior like Marshall Plumlee responding to early adversity, we could see Duke exceed expectations in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
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*Featured Photo (above) credit to USA TODAY Sports