Playing in their first game in 12 days, the No. 2 Blue Devils have shown few signs of rust against Elon through one half of play.
Duke was led by Jahlil Okafor in the first half, as the center recorded a double-double, posting 10 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Blue Devils to a 36-21 lead at the half. Quinn Cook and Justise Winslow also contributed seven points.
The Blue Devils struggled from the floor in the early going, missing on their first four shots before Winslow could convert from the free throw line to draw first blood.
But as hard of a time that the Blue Devils had on the offensive end, they made up for it on the other end of the court. Elon missed its first seven shots and turned the ball over three times before Luke Eddy could get his layup to fall. By the end of the half, Duke had forced nine turnovers, though it committed nine of its own.
After having a quiet game against No. 2 Wisconsin, Winslow came out firing against the Phoenix. In the first six minutes, he drew a charge and a shooting foul and flushed a cross-court lob from Tyus Jones to bring the crowd to its feet. He followed it up moments later with a steal and two-handed breakaway dunk. Winslow was forced to come off with 13:44 left after he picked up his second foul, but by then, the Blue Devils were well in control.
Against the smaller Phoenix, Okafor dominated on the glass, snatching 11 boards in 14 minutes of play to record a double-double in the opening period itself.
Despite going down early 20-6, Elon did not quit in the first half, clawing its way back to close the game to 25-15 with 6:45 left in the half and 30-21 with 3:44 remaining. Eddy and Christian Hairston kept the Phoenix in the game, combining for 12 first-half points. A late six-point run spurred by Rasheed Sulaimon's 3-pointer pushed the the Blue Devil lead back to double-digits.
Observations from the first half:
- Fans made sure to greet Jahlil Okafor in fitting fashion, as the Cameron Crazies donned party hats and sung the big man "Happy Birthday" prior to tipoff
- Much to the crowd's delight, Marshall Plumlee came into the game with 13:46 left in the half and blocked two shots within his first minutes
- Semi Ojeleye—who announced he was transferring Sunday—was already removed from the official team roster and depth chart
- The only rust the Blue Devils displayed came on the offensive end, as they turned the ball over nine times in the first 20 minutes, leading to seven points for Elon and several angry reactions from head coach Mike Krzyzewski
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.