Nov. 19, 2016
Box Score | Notes | USATSI Photo Gallery
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UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) - Freshman Frank Jackson led five players in double figures with 17 points and top-ranked Duke defeated Penn State 78-68 Saturday in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off tournament.
Amile Jefferson added 16 points and 15 rebounds for the Blue Devils (3-1), who lost forward Chase Jeter to injury early in the game. The 6-foot-10 sophomore rolled his left ankle in the first half and did not return.
Tony Carr had 20 points and Shep Garner added 15 to lead Penn State (2-2).
Jeter went down under the Penn State basket while going for a rebound and was on the floor for several minutes before being helped off the court. His injury came minutes after Grayson Allen left the game, favoring the right foot he hurt in the recent loss to Kansas.
Allen went back to the locker room, but returned to the floor a few minutes later. He finished with 12 points and needs just three more to become the 65th Duke player with 1,000 points for his career.
Matt Jones and Luke Kennard added 15 points each for Duke.
Despite the injuries, the Blue Devils were able to go on an early 13-2 run that turned a tie game into a 21-10 lead. They led 36-24 at the half, despite some poor shooting from Allen and Kennard, who were a combined 4-15 from the floor. But Jackson picked up the slack, scoring 11 of his points before intermission.
A 3-point play by Allen stretched the lead to 64-51 midway through the second half and Duke held off Penn State the rest of the way.
BIG PICTURE
Duke: Jeter's injury further depletes a Blue Devils' team that is still without three highly touted freshmen, Harry Giles, Jayson Tatum and Marques Bolden, as well as junior Sean Obi. They may have just seven players available for Sunday's championship game.
Penn State: The Nittany Lions are using the tournament as a measuring stick to see how the young team stacks up against top-level competition. This was the program's first game against a No. 1 ranked team since 2011.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Duke was No. 1 in the preseason poll and the first voting of the regular season, but likely will fall a few spots after its loss to Kansas. How far may depend on how they do in this tournament.
UP NEXT
Duke will play either Cincinnati or Rhode Island in the tournament's championship game Sunday afternoon.
Penn State will play the loser of the second game in the tournament's consolation game.