HALFTIME: Duke 50, Furman 22

Another quick start by No. 4 Duke has it comfortably head in its first game at Cameron Indoor Stadium in a week and a half.

The Blue Devils came out and punched Furman in the mouth in the first five minutes, bursting out to a 9-0 lead by the first media timeout. Duke converted with relative ease on the offensive end and forced the Paladins into scrambled offense on the defensive end. Eight turnovers by Furman led to plentiful transition opportunities for the Blue Devils, including soaring dunks from Justise Winslow and Jahlil Okafor.

Sophomore Matt Jones provided a spark off the bench for Duke in his 10 minutes on the floor. The Desoto, Texas, native drilled an open 3-pointer from the right corner on his first shot of the afternoon, then doubled down by sinking another triple from the opposite baseline in transition on the next possession.

Here are some observations from the first half:

• Furman struggled mightily shooting in the first half, characteristic of the nation's 303rd-ranked scoring offense. The Paladins missed their first six shots as they fell into an early hole.
• Entering the game, Furman's leading scorers were Stephen Croone and Karl Acox. So far, neither has been able to get going, as the duo combined for just six points in the first 20 minutes. Freshman John Davis III has been the lone bright spot for the Paladins, tallying seven points on 3-of-7 shooting.
• Duke featured a balanced offensive attack, with five players scoring at least five points. Junior Amile Jefferson and Okafor led the way with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
• Jefferson scored six straight points in quick succession late in the first half, giving him 12 points and five rebounds in the opening frame. The Philadelphia native has yet to miss a shot.
• Duke ran the break beautifully in the first half, taking long rebounds and steals and turning them into easy baskets. The Blue Devils outscored Furman 11-0 in transition and 30-8 in the paint.