DURHAM, N.C. (AP) Freshman Matthew Hurt scored a season-high 19 points to help second-ranked Duke beat Central Arkansas 105-54 on Tuesday night.
Fellow freshman Vernon Carey Jr. added season highs of 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Blue Devils, who played much of the night without starting point guard Tre Jones after he was shaken up during a first-half collision.
Duke (3-0) had no trouble, running off 19 straight points to build a 25-5 lead by midway through the opening half. That margin reached 57-20 by halftime, with Duke shooting nearly 57% and scoring 26 points off turnovers.
Jones, the returning floor leader for a team that has turned over its rotation with another recruiting wave, played just 9 minutes. He left after colliding with Central Arkansas’ Aaron Weidenaar as the two chased a loose rebound with 7:57 left before halftime.
Jones laid on the court holding his head then rolled over onto his stomach while being attended by team medical staff, though he was able to eventually walk slowly to the bench. He appeared to be fine, talking with coaches and teammates as he remained on the bench wearing a warmup shirt over his jersey after halftime.
Rylan Bergersen scored 13 points for the Bears (1-3), who were overwhelmed from the start with long stretches between baskets and a series of throwaways and deflected-pass turnovers.
Central Arkansas shot just 5 of 23 (21.7%) with 15 turnovers that led to 15 points for the Blue Devils by halftime.
BIG PICTURE
Central Arkansas: This was one of several tough matchups on the schedule for the Bears, who have four returning starters and are picked to finish fifth in the Southland Conference. They lost by 44 points at No. 24 Baylor to open the season, and their second game against a power-conference matchup didn’t go much better.
Duke: The Blue Devils are tinkering with a deep lineup to figure out what works best for a unit with plenty of defensive potential. Hurt started the first two games but came off the bench in favor of senior Jack White, then he had an immediate impact with 10 first-half points and started the second half over White. Duke also got a look at freshman Wendell Moore Jr. running the point to start the second half with Jones done for the night.
UP NEXT
Central Arkansas: The Bears host Little Rock on Sunday.
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