HALFTIME: Duke 59 , Bryant 32

After shooting just 6-of-25 from downtown a night ago against Siena, the Blue Devils found their shooting stroke in the first half Saturday. 

Duke leads Bryant 59-32 at the half behind 19 points from junior Matt Jones, who knocked down five of his six 3-point attempts. After starting the game slowly, the Blue Devils began to heat up and finished the first half 8-of-11 from beyond the arc. 

Freshman Brandon Ingram scored eight of Duke's first 12 points and found his touch from the perimeter in the early going. Ingram connected on a pair of 3-pointers and finished the half with 11 points on 3-of-4 shooting from the floor.

Just as Duke put the ball in the hands of sophomore Grayson Allen last night, the ball found its way to Jones in the opening 20 minutes Saturday. Although the guard was a key contributor on offense, Jones was also part of a solid defensive effort in the first 20 minutes for Duke. The junior finished with a pair of steals and deflected a number of other passes as the Blue Devils made life tough on the Bryant offense. 

Following his game-high 26 points against the Saints, Allen continued attacking the basket against the Bulldogs. The Jacksonville, Fla., native was rewarded for his tough drives to the hoop and finished with 15 points and five assists in the first half. Allen made a living at the foul line and finished a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe. 

With the Blue Devils leading by 27 at the half, look for head coach Mike Krzyzewski to spread playing time in the final 20 minutes of this one. 

Here are some observations from the first half: 

• The Blue Devils' length in passing lanes and on the pass continues to cause trouble for Bryant on offense. Duke came away with seven steals and forced 11 turnovers in the first half.
• A variety of ball-handlers, including Jones and Ingram, continue to bring the ball up the court for Duke and set up the offense in the early part of the season.
• The Blue Devils' energy has certainly not been lacking in this one as multiple players have hit the deck for loose balls.
• Duke played a lineup featuring four freshmen—Ingram, Luke Kennard, Derryck Thornton and Chase Jeter—for a couple minute stretch in the first half. The Blue Devils didn't appear to have much flow on offense during this time and struggled to move the ball on offense. 
• Graduate student Marshall Plumlee has made his impact felt on defense and on the glass early in this one. Plumlee turned back two shots and collected four offensive rebounds in the first half and also knocked down 6-of-8 at the free-throw line. 
• Although Duke appears to be communicating on the defensive end, the team has given up multiple open layups in the first half. The Blue Devils have overcommitted to the ball-handler on multiple occasions, leaving other Bryant players open across the court. 
• Thornton has had some trouble running the correct play for Duke on multiple occasions in the first half. The freshman is continuing to adjust to his role on the floor for the Blue Devils.