DURHAM, N.C. — After Justise Winslow knocked down a 3 and Duke gathered a Syracuse turnover in the backcourt, Quinn Cook threw a lob to a streaking Winslow as the home crowd crescendoed into a deafening roar.

But before Winslow could grab the pass, it nicked the front of the rim, bounced off his chest and out of bounds. The crowd groaned in disapproval and the under-eight media timeout granted the Orange a quick reprieve from the Blue Devils downhill attack.

It was one of the few times all night that Winslow didn’t get his way.

“I thought (Jahlil) Okafor is difficult down low,” SU head coach Jim Boeheim said, “ but Winslow was the difference in the game tonight.”

Winslow led all scorers as No. 4 Duke (26-3, 13-3 Atlantic Coast) beat Syracuse (18-11, 9-7) 73-54 at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday night, pouring in a season-high 23 points while shooting 10-of-16 from the field and 3-of-5 from 3. He also collected nine rebounds and a game-high three blocks and was the only Blue Devil to play all 40 minutes of the contest.

Moving from the high post to the perimeter on a possession-by-possession basis, Winslow’s versatility was too much for SU to handle in a game chock full of zone breakdowns.

“He was like (Rodney) Hood last year, he was pretty similar,” SU guard Trevor Cooney said. “It’s a 3-4 guy who could come into the high post and hit a 3. Those guys are tough on the 2-3.”

The 6-foot-6 flex forward is the adjustable one of Duke’s three-pronged freshmen star pack, which also includes the center Okafor and point guard Tyus Jones. The trio combined for 45 points in the win, with Winslow’s mix of shooting finesse and raw strength leading the way.

In the first half, Winslow scored 15 points and took seven of his 11 shots inside of the arc. In the second, he hung around the 3-point line and made 2-of-3 triples to help his team ice the game.

After the win, Duke’s players ran down the sideline opposite Syracuse’s bench and high-fived the first few rows of the Cameron Crazies. But Winslow, who was grabbed by reporters as soon as the final buzzer sounded, lagged behind.

“We have to wait for Justise!” a fan yelled. “He f*ckin’ won us this sh*t.”

Moments later, Winslow took his time hitting each hand he could reach. His postgame celebration mirroring his dissection of the Orange zone — composed, methodical and leaving nothing behind.

“They did a good job of moving him around and we were keying in on other guys,” SU forward Michael Gbinije said. “He definitely made us pay tonight.”

In two games against the Orange this season, Winslow is averaging 17.5 points and eight rebounds. His size, quickness and touch make him a prototypical zone buster. While Syracuse was lefty empty-handed by his performance, it can leave Durham with one positive takeaway.

With Winslow tearing through his freshman year he’s expected to forego his remaining eligibility and enter the NBA Draft at season’s end.

And if he does, SU will never have to worry about him again.

Published on February 28, 2015 at 11:49 pm

Contact Jesse: jcdoug01@syr.edu | @dougherty_jesse