HALFTIME: Duke 37, San Diego State 24

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Entering their Round of 32 tilt against one of the stingiest defenses in the country, the Blue Devils said they wanted to get off to a good start.

They did just that.

No. 1 seed Duke opened the game on a 15-4 run and built up a 37-24 halftime lead against eighth-seeded San Diego State Sunday afternoon at Time Warner Cable Arena Sunday afternoon. Despite facing a defense that allows just 53.5 points per game, the Blue Devils were able to get going on the offensive end thanks to the dominance of ACC Player of the Year Jahlil Okafor.

The Chicago native had 18 points on 9-of-12 shooting in the opening period and went on a personal 6-0 run in the middle of the half after the Aztecs cut Duke's lead to seven. Okafor also opened things up for swingman Justise Winslow, who had eight points, nine rebounds and four assists and helped the Blue Devils dictate tempo by pushing the ball in transition.

Duke's offense was good, but its defense might have been better. San Diego State struggled to find any daylight against the Blue Devils' man-to-man defense and shot just 31 percent in the period. The Aztecs also committed six turnovers, whereas Duke committed two, with its first coming at the 3:16 mark of the half.

Here are some observations from the first half:

• San Diego State struggled mightily on offense early on, missing its first seven shots and committing two turnovers to spot the Blue Devils an 8-0 lead. The Aztecs did not score until the 15:14 mark of the half.
• Despite battling flu-like symptoms in the past week, Grayson Allen looked to be feeling better and knocked down a 3-pointer as soon as he checked into the game before picking up two quick fouls.
• Freshman point guard Tyus Jones struggled to find his shooting stroke in the first half, missing all four of his shots. Jones added three assists and two rebounds, including a nifty dish to Okafor for a thunderous jam in transition.
• Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski was very emotional after senior Quinn Cook knocked down a corner 3-pointer to put the Blue Devils up 18 late in the half. The triple followed an emphatic Winslow block and sent the crowd into a frenzy. Cook finished the half with eight points and two made treys.