Blue Devils Use Balanced Attack to Get Back on Track
SOUTH BEND, I.N. – Sophomore Matthew Hurt scored 18 points and three Duke freshmen also cracked double digits as the 21st-ranked Blue Devils opened Atlantic Coast Conference play Wednesday night with a 75-65 win over Notre Dame.
DJ Steward had 16 points to go with seven rebounds, while Jeremy Roach scored 14 and Jaemyn Brakefield added 10 for Duke, which led from the second minute onward.
The Blue Devils (3-2, 1-0 ACC) entered the game in jeopardy of falling below .500 for the first time since 1999 but convincingly steered clear.
Dane Goodwin scored 25 points for the Fighting Irish (2-3, 0-1), hitting 10 of 12 shots from the field with four 3-pointers. Prentiss Hubb added 12 points.
Duke shot 52 percent and went 8 of 15 on 3-pointers. The Blue Devils also outrebounded Notre Dame 33-23 and outscored the Irish 34-20 in the paint.
Except for a 2-all tie, the methodically effective Blue Devils led throughout the opening half, including by 11 twice, before settling for a 41-34 lead at the break.
Notre Dame got as close in the second half as 55-50 with 10:42 to go, but Duke pushed its lead to 73-56 with 4:38 remaining.
The Blue Devils will return home to host Pittsburgh on December 29, which will be Duke’s second game in a span of 20 days due to the cancelation of the remaining nonconference games on the schedule.