Gerald Henderson and Kyle Singler scored 19 points each and the third-ranked Blue Devils overcame their worst shooting game of the season for its seventh straight victory, pulling away for a 70-56 win over sloppy Georgia Tech on Wednesday night.
Duke (15-1, 3-0 ACC) was just 23-of-59 from the field, a 39% performance that would have been enough to get them beat on many nights. Not this one.
Georgia Tech (9-7, 0-3) countered with 18 turn overs, went only 7-of-19 from the free throw line and starts the year with 3 ACC losses for the second straight season.
Lewis Clinch hit a 3 that pulled the Yellow Jackets within 5 with just over 8 minutes remaining. But Jon Scheyer hit twice from beyond the arc and Henderson also swished a 3, stretching the margin far beyond comeback range for GT.
Zachery Peacock, with 13 pts, was the only player in double figures for the Yellow Jackets, who were a little more accurate from the field (41%) than they were from the line (37%).
Duke's previous worst shooting effort was a 41 % against Virginia Tech on Jan. 4. But the Blue Devils, who also started dismally at the line, hit enough free throws down the stretch to bury the Yellow Jackets.
Georgia Tech led most of the first half, building its largest lead when Peacock laid it in off a pass from Lewis Clinch to make it 23-15 about 12 minutes into the game.
The Yellow Jackets made only one more field goal the rest of the half, enduring a scoring drought of nearly 6 minutes. During that span, they missed 8 straight shots, clanked 4 straight freebies and turned it over 4 times before Alade Aminu finally made one from the line.
Duke goes on to face Georgetown at home on Saturday.
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