EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (Sporting Alert) – Tyus Jones scored 22 points and No. 2 Duke fended off the test from defending national champion Connecticut in a 66-56 victory at IZOD Center on Thursday night.
The win saw the Blue Devils improving to 10-0 on the season — the 19th time in history the program was opening a campaign with 10 straight wins.
Jones, who was 9 of 10 from the free throw line, including seven straight in the second half, also finished with six rebounds, three assists and two steals in 38 minutes.
Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow, who scored five of his team’s last nine-points, each finished with 12 points in the victory, with Okafor also grabbing eight rebounds and Winslow adding five.
Amile Jefferson collected 11 points and 13 rebounds for Duke, which led 30-25 at halftime.
Ryan Boatright paced Connecticut (4-4) with a game-high 22 points, seven rebounds and three steals, with Kentan Facey adding 14 points and nine boards and Daniel Hamilton ending the night with 10 points and five rebounds.
The Huskies, who opened the season with three straight wins, have now lost four of the last five games.
Team leader Quinn Cook had 10 points for Duke, which has now won its opening 10 outings this season by double digits — the first time in the program’s history.
Coach K and the Blue Devils will now take another extended break off the court before returning to face Toledo at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Dec. 29.
Uconn will take on a solid Columbia on Dec. 22 on the road.
Final Game Box Score
Official Basketball Box Score
UConn vs Duke
12/18/14 8:00 p.m. at East Rutherford, N.J. (IZOD Center)
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VISITORS: UConn 4-4
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
05 HAMILTON, Daniel.... f 5-12 0-2 0-0 1 4 5 4 10 1 4 0 1 33
12 FACEY, Kentan....... f 6-8 0-0 2-2 5 4 9 3 14 0 0 0 0 28
35 BRIMAH, Amida....... c 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 5 0 0 0 2 0 13
11 BOATRIGHT, Ryan..... g 7-13 3-5 5-8 1 6 7 1 22 2 5 0 3 39
44 PURVIS, Rodney...... g 4-11 0-3 0-0 0 1 1 3 8 0 3 0 1 30
01 NOLAN, Phillip...... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 1 0 22
03 SAMUEL, Terrence.... 0-2 0-0 0-3 0 3 3 2 0 1 1 1 2 18
10 CASSELL JR., Sam.... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
14 LUBIN, Rakim........ 1-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 2 2 1 0 0 0 8
21 CALHOUN, Omar....... 0-3 0-2 0-0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 5
TEAM................ 1 1 1
Totals.............. 23-54 3-12 7-13 8 21 29 24 56 5 14 4 7 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 12-27 44.4% 2nd Half: 11-27 40.7% Game: 42.6% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 0-5 0.0% 2nd Half: 3-7 42.9% Game: 25.0% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 1-5 20.0% 2nd Half: 6-8 75.0% Game: 53.8% 2
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HOME TEAM: Duke 10-0
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
12 Justise Winslow..... f 4-10 1-3 3-4 2 3 5 3 12 2 2 1 1 28
21 Amile Jefferson..... f 3-8 0-0 5-7 4 9 13 3 11 2 2 2 1 31
15 Jahlil Okafor....... c 3-5 0-0 6-11 3 5 8 1 12 2 2 0 0 34
02 Quinn Cook.......... g 3-9 2-7 2-2 0 2 2 3 10 1 3 0 2 39
05 Tyus Jones.......... g 5-11 2-6 9-10 2 4 6 1 21 3 3 0 2 38
03 Grayson Allen....... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
13 Matt Jones.......... 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 6
14 Rasheed Sulaimon.... 0-4 0-2 0-0 0 2 2 1 0 0 5 0 1 17
40 Marshall Plumlee.... 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 2 0 0 0 2 0 5
TEAM................ 2 1 3 2
Totals.............. 18-48 5-19 25-34 14 26 40 16 66 10 19 5 7 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 8-25 32.0% 2nd Half: 10-23 43.5% Game: 37.5% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 3-9 33.3% 2nd Half: 2-10 20.0% Game: 26.3% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 11-15 73.3% 2nd Half: 14-19 73.7% Game: 73.5% 4,1
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Officials: Roger Ayers, Karl Hess, Bryan Kersey
Technical fouls: UConn-None. Duke-None.
Attendance: 16541
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
UConn......................... 25 31 - 56
Duke.......................... 30 36 - 66
* Duke ranked No. 2 in AP Top 25 Week 6 poll (Dec. 15) and No. 2 in the
USA Today Coaches Poll Week 6.
* Duke leads all-time series, 6-4; UConn had won 4 of the last 5 coming in.
Points in the paint-UCONN 34,DU 24. Points off turnovers-UCONN 15,DU 17.
2nd chance points-UCONN 10,DU 13. Fast break points-UCONN 10,DU 2.
Bench points-UCONN 2,DU 0. Score tied-2 times. Lead changed-2 times.
Last FG-UCONN 2nd-02:01, DU 2nd-01:23.
Largest lead-UCONN by 1 1st-18:17, DU by 13 2nd-12:47.
UCONN led for 00:07. DU led for 37:55. Game was tied for 01:58.
