Blue Devils Rout Jacksonville in Impressive Fashion to Open Season

DURHAM, NC — The No. 7 ranked Duke Blue Devils men’s basketball team defeated Jacksonville University 71-44 in their season opener in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Duke was led by Junior guard and team captain Jeremy Roach, who finished the contest with 16 points, four assists and six rebounds. Roach played an integral role in pushing the pace in transition for the Blue Devils which in turn led to four threes being made on his part.

The Blue Devils started out strong as Freshman Mark Mitchell led an 8-2 run in the first three minutes of action for Duke. Mitchell’s presence was felt on both ends throughout the evening as the Kansas native finished the night with 18 points and +27 when on the floor.

The Dolphins managed to keep things close throughout the first half as Junior forward Mike Marsh scored 10 of Jacksonville’s last 12 points to end the half. Marsh finished with 15 points shooting 7-of-8 from the field.

The Blue Devils ended the half on a 14-2 run despite their offense struggling to buy a bucket in the half-court for a huge chunk of the first half.

Duke started out the second half shaky offensively, shooting 0-for-7 in the first four minutes despite playing stout defense on Jacksonville on the other end. The offense came alive once Jon Scheyer began playing through Senior transfer Ryan Young in the paint.

Young would score 10 points in the second half, finishing the game with 12 points and 7 rebounds while shooting a perfect 6-for-6 from the field. The New Jersey native showed out in his Duke debut following a four-year stint at Northwestern where he averaged 8.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game on 55% shooting.

“Ryan is a true competitor and his leadership and toughness have been key for us,” Coach Jon Scheyer told me after the game. “He’s a guy that we can play through and I commend his willingness to do whatever it takes to win. We cherish guys like that.”

The Blue Devils return to action in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Friday when they take on USC Upstate at 6:30 p.m. on ACC Network.