Sports

Convincing Season Opener for Duke Blue Devils

Brian Hayes

DURHAM, N.C.- The Duke Blue Devils convincingly completed their season opener Monday night, pulling away from Army West Point in the second half to earn an 84-50 victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The Duke Blue Devils came out with energy and offensive confidence Monday night on a 12-0 scoring run. One of the biggest differences in the first half was Duke’s ability to put together those scoring runs. Whenever Army appeared to gain momentum, the Blue Devils responded with timely baskets and defensive stops. Army continued to compete, but Duke’s combination of size, athleticism, and scoring proved difficult to overcome during the opening 20 minutes. The key was finding points in the paint, off turnovers, and in fast-break opportunities to take a commanding 33-18 lead at the half, even with the Blue Devils shooting an unbelievable 0-for-9 from three-point range.

The Blue Devils opened the second half with an 11-0 scoring run, pushing the lead to 44-18 and putting a stranglehold on Army.

Dame Sarr, in his second year, made his presence known offensively, finishing with a team-high 16 points, four rebounds, three assists, and a steal. After the game, Sarr had this to say about his performance: “Just trying to help win whatever it takes. I feel like I can help this team a lot, so I embrace that role, whatever coach asks me to do, I do it. Just trying to help my teammates, I know that as long as we win everyone is going to be successful, so I’m trying to make everyone successful in this locker room.”

Freshman Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje also delivered an impressive collegiate debut, recording 15 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Patrick Ngongba II added 10 points. The Blue Devils continued to create opportunities through ball movement, rebounding on both ends, and attacking the basket.

Duke finished with 50 points in the paint, 20 second-chance points, 25 fast-break points, 31 points off the bench, and forced 24 turnovers, converting them into 29 points. Defensively, Duke’s length and pressure created problems all night, showing their depth and potential to force mistakes.

Up next for the Blue Devils will be back home at Cameron Indoor Stadium Thursday November 5th against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at 8pm.