Five in Double Figures as Duke Handles Clemson, 79-53

DURHAM, N.C. – Duke shot out to a 19-point halftime lead and five players finished in double figures as the Blue Devils took down Clemson, 79-53, Saturday afternoon at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The 26-point margin of victory marks Duke’s largest of the season. The Blue Devils (7-5, 5-3 ACC) never trailed in the game and at one point held a 35-point advantage. Duke limited the Tigers to .351 shooting from the field while allowing the fewest points by an opponent this year.

The Blue Devils were fueled by a balanced scoring effort led by 13 points from sophomore Matthew Hurt. Hurt went 4-of-7 from the floor and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line while also grabbing four rebounds. Freshman Jalen Johnson went for nine points, including a thunderous dunk in the first half, to go along with eight boards and five assists. Senior Jordan Goldwire also dished out five helpers while recording six rebounds and four points.

Aamir Simms netted 19 points for Clemson (10-5, 4-5 ACC), which dropped its third consecutive road game.

Duke held a 34-22 advantage with 2:34 left in the first half before going on an 18-0 run over the next five minutes of game time to increase its lead to 30 points. The Blue Devils led by 35 with 10:56 remaining, marking their largest lead in any game this season.

Freshman Mark Williams had his first career double-digit performance, going for 11 points with three dunks. Williams also finished with five rebounds.

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Duke heads to Coral Gables, Fla., for a Monday night matchup at Miami. The game tips at 7 p.m. on ESPN.

Clemson hosts North Carolina on Tuesday night at 7 p.m.