DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Kyle Filipowski had 21 points and 14 rebounds while No. 9 Duke waited until the second half to push ahead for good in Friday night's 80-62 win against pesky Southern Indiana.
Jeremy Roach added 18 points for the Blue Devils (5-1), who fell behind by 10 points six times before halftime and trailed 35-31 at the break against a team that that had yet to beat a Division I opponent this season. But Duke closed the first half with better energy and aggression at both ends, then rode that wave to build its own double-digit lead.
The Blue Devils trailed 32-22 with 5:02 left before going on a 25-5 run through 9 1/2 minutes. That included the first 11 points out of the break, including two 3-pointers from freshman Jared McCain and back-to-back two-hand flushes from Filipowski at the 15:34 mark.
That margin got no closer than nine again, with Duke shooting 60.7% after halftime.
Jeremiah Hernandez scored 15 points for the Screaming Eagles (1-6), who spent the first half scoring off the dribble or on contested shots. They ran off 12 straight points to lead 15-5 early and made 13 of 25 shots to open the game, but shot 33% from there.
BIG PICTURE
Southern Indiana: The Screaming Eagles had fallen by double-digit margins in four of five losses coming in. Their lone win had come against Division II Tiffin. But they hung around in this one into the final minutes.
Duke: The Blue Devils have now won four straight games since falling to now-No. 3 Arizona, including a win against Michigan State in the Champions Classic on Nov. 14.
CONTENTIOUS MOMENT
The game also featured a testy second-half moment between Duke's Tyrese Proctor and Southern Indiana's Javius Moore.
Moore hit Proctor around the head and shoulder from behind on Proctor’s cutting dunk with 6:29 left. Both players ended up on the floor before Proctor rose quickly to stand over Moore, then glared his way as the teams separated.
After a video review, officials ruled Moore’s hit was a flagrant-1 foul while also assessing a technical foul to Proctor.
UP NEXT
Southern Indiana: The Screaming Eagles open a three-game homestand Tuesday against East-West University.
Duke: The Blue Devils visit No. 20 Arkansas on Wednesday in the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge.
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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
