HALFTIME: Duke 29, Clemson 25

Duke leads Clemson 29-25 at the break here at the Greensboro Coliseum in the nightcap of the ACC tournament quarterfinals. The third-seeded Blue Devils earned a double-bye into the quarterfinals and struggled to find an offensive rhythm in the opening 20 minutes as they tried to exact revenge for Clemson's 72-59 upset Jan. 11. Duke found its rhythm late in the period to shoot 40 percent overall and has outrebounded Clemson 20-14 after being demolished 48-30 on the boards in the first matchup in January.

Here are some observations from the first half:

• Jabari Parker attacked the basket out of the gates, taking the ball right at his Tiger defenders and drawing fouls. After four quick free throws, the freshman got away from the habit, beginning to launch jump shots that plagued him during his cold spell early in conference play. Parker finished the frame with 10 points but missed his first six attempts from the field.
• Andre Dawkins earned his second consecutive start for the Blue Devils, sliding into Rasheed Sulaimon's shooting guard slot. The graduate student got the starting nod on Senior Day Saturday against North Carolina.
• When Sulaimon did check in, the Houston native made a quick impact, converting a tough lay-up and knocking down his first 3-point attempt of the night. Sulaimon was subbed out at the 6:51 mark after picking up his second personal foul on a 3-point attempt by Jordan Roper and did not return.
• Seven of Roper's 11 first-half points came because of Blue Devil fouls on 3-point attempts. The sophomore converted a four-point play and later knocked down all three free throws.
• Rodney Hood carried the Blue Devils in the first half with eight points and also did a nice job shadowing Clemson's leading scorer, K.J. McDaniels. After torching Duke for 24 points and 10 rebounds in the first meeting between the teams, McDaniels managed just two points in the first half in the rematch.
• Duke ended the first half with three straight dunks. Quinn Cook found Parker and Hood for back-to-back alley-oops, and then Amile Jefferson led Parker for a run-out jam with less than a minute remaining before the break.
• The Blue Devils are wearing their throwback jerseys again after donning them against North Carolina last weekend.