Duke Defeats Lipscomb 97-73 for Scheyer's 100th Win

The No. 3 Duke Blue Devils overcame early rust to defeat the Lipscomb Bisons 97-73 on Tuesday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, securing head coach Jon Scheyer's 100th career victory in his fourth season.

Duke entered the game with an unblemished 11-0 record, returning from a break following end-of-semester exams and a 66-60 road win over then-No. 7 Michigan State on December 6. The Blue Devils, who last played more than 10 days earlier, started strong but quickly showed signs of sluggishness. In the first 15 minutes, Duke committed 15 turnovers, allowing Lipscomb to capitalize with transition points and build a lead of up to 10 points midway through the half. The Bisons, who arrived on a five-game winning streak and had not played since a 92-58 victory over Alabama A&M on December 7, shot efficiently at 45 percent from the field and went 13 of 14 from the free-throw line in the opening period.

Lipscomb led 39-33 with under four minutes remaining in the first half, prompting concern among the home crowd. The Bisons' guards aggressively attacked the rim, with junior forward Mateo Esmeraldo scoring 12 points, including eight from the line, before halftime....