Duke began retiring Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski's final NCAA Tournament with minimal stress, beating Cal State Fullerton 78-61 on Friday night.
Freshman Paolo Banchero scored 17 points to lead the Blue Devils , who jumped to a double-digit lead in the first 4 1/2 minutes and remained in control throughout. Duke led by 10 at halftime and pushed the margin to 20 midway through the second half, avoiding the shocking exit that befell another of the sport's top programs — Kentucky — in a 2-vs.-15 matchup a night earlier.
Damari Milstead scored 12 points to lead 15th-seeded Titans , who missed 15 of 18 shots to open the game and struggled to get into a comfortable rhythm. The Big West Conference champions finished the game shooting 38%, including 5 for 17 on the 3s that are needed for any mid-major to take down a big favorite.
The Blue Devils haven't looked quite the same of late, potentially weighed down by the enormity of playing through a legend's final games in a 47-year career. The Blue Devils suffered a dispiriting loss to rival North Carolina in Krzyzewski’s emotional final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium and fell last weekend to Virginia Tech in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship game.
Duke's first basket came on a smooth passing sequence that saw Banchero find Wendell Moore Jr., who flipped it to Mark Williams nearby for the dunk. Banchero — who came in shooting 31% from behind the arc — hit a 3 from one corner, and then the other.
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