Durham, N.C. – In a commanding performance on Tuesday night, No. 9 Duke cruised to a 95-66 victory over visiting La Salle, propelled by a career-high 22 points from standout sophomore guard Tyrese Proctor.
Duke’s Kyle Filipowski showcased a strong second half, contributing 17 points, while Sean Stewart, coming off the bench, added 16 points, and Mark Mitchell notched 12 points. The win marked Duke’s third in eight nights, maintaining a 4-1 record and demonstrating their offensive prowess with a shooting percentage of 53.7 from the field.
La Salle, with a 4-1 record coming into the game, faced a formidable Duke squad. Anwar Gill led the Explorers with 17 points, and Jhamir Brickus contributed 13, but they struggled from beyond the arc, making only 6 of 24 three-point attempts in their first road game of the season.
La Salle’s coach, Fran Dunphy, was seeking a milestone victory in his 32nd year as a head coach but fell short, with a career record of 599-345 all-time.
Tyrese Proctor, the standout performer of the night, surpassed his previous scoring high of 17 with a stellar 22-point performance. Filipowski, who demonstrated resilience after sitting out for some first-half stretches, scored the first eight points of the second half, contributing to Duke’s dominant 30-17 run in the first 10 minutes after halftime.
Duke’s scoring spree was fueled by open looks in transition and two crucial three-pointers from Jared McCain. The Blue Devils closed out the game with a late 10-0 run and held a significant 42-27 rebounding advantage.
Multiple Blue Devils contributed to the three-point barrage, with four players, including TJ Power, hitting multiple shots from beyond the arc. Power finished with nine points, going 3-for-4 from three-point range.
La Salle’s Khalil Brantley, who had an impressive 30-point performance in their previous game, was held to nine points by Duke’s defense.
Duke established control early, leading 39-29 at halftime and limiting La Salle to 36.7 percent shooting from the field. The Blue Devils’ 11-2 run to start the game set the tone, and despite a brief La Salle resurgence, Proctor’s 10 points in the first 13 minutes helped Duke secure a 29-19 lead.
With this victory, Duke extended its perfect record against La Salle to 5-0, showcasing their dominance on the court.
