Duke rolls CSU in home opener despite non-existent 3-point shooting

Duke basketball freshman center Vernon Carey Jr. #1 battles Kendle Moore #3 of the Colorado State Rams for a rebound during the first half of the game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on November 08, 2019 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
Duke basketball freshman center Vernon Carey Jr. #1 battles Kendle Moore #3 of the Colorado State Rams for a rebound during the first half of the game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on November 08, 2019 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

The Duke Basketball team rolled the Colorado State Rams in its home opener on Friday night despite not shooting the ball from 3-point range well at all.

No. 4 Duke kept on rolling after its win in the State Farm Champions Classic on Tuesday night over the No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks.

The Blue Devils returned to Cameron Indoor Stadium for its home opener against the Colorado State Rams and after a slow start, Duke found its footing towards the end of the first half and never looked back, winning 89 – 55.

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Duke took a 42-26 lead into halftime but did not see many 3-pointers go in, not only in the first half, but throughout the game.

Alex O’Connell led the way for the Blue Devils behind the arc, making 3-of-6 attempts, but the only other Dukie to make a deep shot besides O’Connell was Matthew Hurt. The junior finished with 14 points six rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

As a team, Duke was just 4-of-22 from 3-point range (18.2%).

Entering the game Mike Krzyzewski made one change in the starting five as O’Connell replaced Jordan Goldwire.

Four of the five Blue Devil starters reached double figures, with the exception of Hurt who scored nine points in the victory.

After his breakout game on Tuesday, Cassius Stanley led Duke with 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting while adding seven rebounds and one block.

Tre Jones chipped in 15 points, five rebounds, and eight assists while going 7-of-14 from the field while Vernon Carey Jr. fouled out mid-way through the second half but finished with 11 points, three rebounds, two blocks, and a steal.

Wendell Moore looked shaky in the Tuesday win over Kansas but responded nicely against Colorado State, scoring ten points on 5-of-6 shooting a rebound and a block.

Joey Baker saw his first action of the season after not playing against Kansas and the sophomore chipped in four points.

Javin DeLaurier and Jack White had quiet games on the stat sheet but the two combined for a loud bang in the first half.

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Both players were going after a loose ball and DeLaurier crashed into White at full speed, as Jack White dropped the floor in a scary sight.

White stayed on the floor for a couple minutes before making his way to the Duke bench and into the Duke locker room.

Jack White did return to the floor in the first half, but saw very limited action in the second half, hopefully as a precaution.

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At 2-0 on the season, Duke will be back in action at home on Tuesday, November 12 against Central Arkansas at 7:00pm EST on the ACC Network.