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In only the second meeting between the two programs, Duke jumped out to an early lead before defeating the Chants 113-52.
Head coach Justin Gray rolled out a different starting lineup, with Trey Perry, Jaylen Cross, Tristan Thompson, Ashton Hardaway and Derrick Green getting the start. Duke went with its usual starting five of Cayden Boozer, John Blackwell, Dame Sarr, Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje and Patrick Ngongba II.
The Chanticleers’ defense started the game strong, with Green forcing an immediate tie-up and Cross recording an early block, holding Duke to just two points several minutes into the game. However, Coastal’s offense couldn’t get on the board, forcing Gray to call a timeout just before the scheduled media timeout, with Duke leading 8-0.
Things did not improve offensively for the Chants as the half went on, with Coastal scoring just 10 points through the under-eight media timeout. The Chanticleers’ defense also began to struggle after its strong opening stretch, as Duke’s size, athleticism and shooting helped the Blue Devils reach nearly 40 points through the first 12 minutes.
Duke took a 52-18 lead into halftime, led by Ngongba, who had 18 points and eight rebounds in 16 minutes. Caleb Foster added 10 points off the bench for the Blue Devils. Boozer and Sarr added seven points apiece, while Blackwell scored five.
Coastal was led at the break by Mount Olive transfer Jaevian Alston, who scored eight points off the bench, including two early 3-pointers. The 6-foot-6 guard did not appear in the season-opening loss to Eastern Michigan. Perry also scored six points, while Thompson added two. Freshman guard Q Williams IV, who also did not play in the first game, scored the other two points for the Chants in five minutes of action.
“Jaevian came out and made some shots early on. This is his first Division One basketball game,” said Gray. “Hopefully we can continue to build some confidence in him.”
Despite turning the ball over 12 times, the Chants were able to force Duke into 11 turnovers of its own in the first half. The Blue Devils capitalized on those mistakes, however, outscoring Coastal 21-6 off turnovers. Duke also outrebounded the Chants by 20 and got to the free throw line at will, attempting 23 shots.
The Blue Devils came out firing in the second half, with Ngongba hitting two 3-pointers and forcing Gray to call a quick timeout. Last season, the 6-foot-11 center made just eight shots from beyond the arc.
With 7:09 remaining, Foster received his second technical foul of the game, resulting in his ejection. However, Duke continued to extend its lead and eventually secured a 113-52 victory.
Despite the lopsided loss, Gray was still happy with the effort his team showed throughout the game.
“Our guys played hard,” Gray emphasized. “Everybody that got out there on the court, they played hard.”
For Duke, Ngongba finished with a career-high 28 points and added nine rebounds. Before his ejection, Foster finished with 15 points in just under 17 minutes. Boozer, Sarr and Blackwell also finished in double figures.
For Coastal, Perry led the Chants in scoring with 14 points. Alston finished with 10 points off the bench, while Thompson and Williams each added seven.
Duke dominated the Chants in the post, outrebounding Coastal 53-27, including 14 offensive rebounds. The Blue Devils also finished with 52 points in the paint compared to Coastal’s 26. Despite keeping the turnover battle relatively close, Duke outscored the Chants by 21 points off turnovers.
Gray also pointed to Duke’s defense and pressure as major factors in the loss.
“We couldn’t get a shot off on the goal,” Gray said. “They did a great job at pressing at the point of attack. We didn’t make shots.”
Coastal will look to get into the win column when it returns home to take on USC Upstate on Nov. 9. Duke will travel to Chicago to take on Michigan State on Nov. 10.