Final
Okafor's big night carries Duke over Elon
Dec 16, 2014 - 4:58 AM Durham, NC (SportsNetwork.com) - Jahlil Okafor erupted for 25 points and 20 rebounds as No. 2 Duke stayed unbeaten with a 75-62 win over Elon on Monday.Okafor, considered by many as the nation's top freshman, shot 10-for-14 and posted career highs in both categories. He recorded the first 20-20 game by a freshman in Duke history and became the first Blue Devil to accomplish the feat since Elton Brand in 1998.
"It felt great," said Okafor, who was celebrating his birthday. "I felt like I was at home with my family."
Amile Jefferson scored 13 points and Justise Winslow had 12 for Duke (9-0), which extended the nation's longest home winning streak to 38 games.
Luke Eddy paced Elon (5-5) with 16 points.
After missing their first three shots, the Blue Devils made seven straight shots -- including four dunks -- to take a 15-2 lead.
Okafor split a pair of free throws at the end of the first half, giving Duke its biggest lead at 36-21 heading into the locker rooms.
The margin never dipped back into single digits in the second half, though Elon never felt out of the game. Duke's starters played until the final whistle, leading to a minor confrontation late in the contest.
Tempers flared with 1 1/2 minutes remaining when Duke guard Rasheed Sulaimon committed a hard foul on Eddy. He received a technical in addition to a common foul during the scrum under the basket following the play.
Okafor scored his 25th point on a gorgeous spin move just before that and subbed out just after to a rousing ovation from the fans at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
"My teammates were in my ear telling me to dominate," said Okafor. "They wanted me to put up big numbers. That gave me a lot of confidence."
Game Notes
Duke started the season with nine straight wins by 10 or more points for the first time since 2002-03 ... Duke has won 114 straight non-conference home games ... The Blue Devils shot just 3-for-16 from behind the arc ... Elon has lost back-to-back games following a three-game win streak.
- ELON: 62
DUKE: 75
Final
Dec 15 8:57 PM - ELON: 21
DUKE: 36
Halftime
Dec 15 7:45 PM - ELON: 0
DUKE: 0
1st Half - 20:00
Dec 15 7:04 PM
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