HALFTIME: Duke 39, St. John's 32

NEW YORK—As they have been much of the season, the Blue Devils have been anything but consistent. 

Against an undermanned and overmatched St. John’s squad that has dropped 11 games in a row, Duke leads 39-32 at Madison Square Garden in a rare February nonconference game despite committing 12 turnovers and having trouble guarding the pick-and-roll. Gary Trent Jr. has continued his lengthy hot stretch, draining 5-of-7 shots from the field for 14 points. 

After Duke appeared to have taken control from the start—jumping out to a quick 9-4 lead behind a trio of 3-pointers—star freshman Marvin Bagley III missed two free throws, and St. John’s clawed back into what has been a tight affair.

The Red Storm have pushed the pace off of turnovers, with star sophomore guard Shamorie Ponds racking up nine points and backcourt mate Justin Simon contributing a game-high five assists. But Tariq Owens has paced St. John’s with 10 points, all on uncontested shots around the rim.

The Red Storm scored five straight points near the end of the half to keep it interesting at the break after the Blue Devils took their first double-digit lead.

Here are a few observations from the first half:

• St. John’s has been throwing at least two players at Bagley, but the star freshman still has 11 points, though he has added just two rebounds.
• After Bagley missed the first two, the Blue Devils hit all but one of their next 11 free-throw attempts. 
• Wendell Carter Jr. has seven boards, just one less than the entire Red Storm team.
• In stark contrast to previous games, Duke has scored just 14 points in the paint and has allowed 22 inside to St. John's.
• The Red Storm did not attempt a free throw until there was about a minute left.