Field Level Media
Dec 28, 2019
Vernon Carey Jr. scored 19 points as fourth-ranked Duke was too strong for visiting Brown in the lane in a 75-50 victory Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C.
Guard Alex O'Connell scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half as the Blue Devils won their fifth consecutive game. Wendell Moore Jr. added 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
Duke (11-1) played its second game in a row without point guard Tre Jones, who has a mild sprain of the left foot. The Blue Devils go into the bulk of Atlantic Coast Conference play with Tuesday night's home game against Boston College.
Brandon Anderson scored 16 points for Brown (5-6), which lost its third game in a row. The Bears hadn't played since Dec. 10.
Jack White converted a three-point play as Duke built a 46-36 lead with 14:06 to play. O'Connell drained perimeter jumpers on consecutive possessions as the Blue Devils stretched the advantage to 52-40.
O'Connell hit the Blue Devils' first 3-point basket with less than seven minutes remaining and Moore followed with a basket as the lead grew to 60-46.
For stretches of the game, the Bears were without solutions when the Blue Devils threw passes over the top and into the lane. Duke had a 48-22 edge in points in the paint.
Duke led 35-29 at halftime, but the Bears, despite committing 11 first-half turnovers, hung around because they drained five 3-pointers. Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski slumped back in his chair when the last of those fell through as Brown posted the final five points of the half.
The Blue Devils, who were playing in only their second game across a stretch of more than three weeks, went 0-for-11 on 3-point attempts in the first half.
Brown was 1-for-9 on second-half 3s.
Sophomore guard Joey Baker made his first career start for Duke, coming off a career-high 22-point outing against Wofford. He ended up with two points on 1-for-6 shooting.
The teams played for the first time since Duke won the 1994-95 season opener.
--Field Level Media