DURHAM, N.C. — Freshman Brandon Ingram scored 15 points and played a key role in the defensive switch that helped No. 6 Duke beat Yale 80-61 on Wednesday night.

Matt Jones had 17 points and Grayson Allen scored 15 for the Blue Devils (5-1), and Ingram sparked Duke out of a lethargic start with his pressure as the front man after the switch to a 1-3-1 zone defense.

Freshman Luke Kennard finished with 12 points for the Blue Devils, who finally took control with a 17-2 run during a 5 1/2-minute span that bridged the halves. Duke outscored Yale 42-25 in the second half.

Justin Sears scored 19 points and Makai Mason had 13 points for the Bulldogs (3-2). The preseason favorites in the Ivy League led for all but 90 seconds of the first half but shot just 30 percent after the break.

The clear difference was Duke’s switch late in the first half to that zone defense with the 6-foot-9 Ingram out in front – where he could disrupt Yale’s ballhandlers, get his 7-3 wingspan into passing lanes and pester the perimeter shooters.

Yale, which shoots 40 percent from 3-point range, was just 4 of 15 in this one. Duke finished with 12 steals and forced 13 turnovers, turning them into 16 points.

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That defensive pressure sparked the game-turning run, with the zone forcing turnovers on consecutive trips down court that Duke turned into transition buckets.

Ingram later took a steal coast to coast for a layup that gave the Blue Devils their first double-figure lead at 48-38 with 16:43 to play. Allen capped the decisive run with a layup on the next trip down court.

They eventually pulled away, pushing the lead into the 20s on a jumper with 2 1/2 minutes left by Amile Jefferson, who finished with 12 rebounds.

The lopsided final score was surprising because Duke was in trouble for virtually the entire first half. Yale routinely outworked the Blue Devils and generated easy baskets – none easier than Mason’s unimpeded drive across the lane for a layup that put the Bulldogs up 27-20 with 7 1/2 minutes left before the break.

(10) GONZAGA 80, WASHINGTON 64: Kyle Wiltjer had 24 points and Domantas Sabonis added 17, sending Gonzaga (3-0) past Washington (3-1) in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament at Paradise Island, Bahamas.

The Bulldogs led by 17 at halftime and were ahead by 24 early in the second half. The Huskies drew to 11 after Wiltjer was called for his fourth foul.

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Washington struggled to find any offensive flow and made just 19 of 74 shots.

(12) VIRGINIA 80, LEHIGH 54: Malcolm Brogdon scored 23 points, and host Virginia (5-1) beat Lehigh (0-5) for its fourth consecutive victory.

Darius Thompson added 12 points for Virginia, and Marial Shayok had 11. Anthony Gill scored 10 points.

The Cavaliers shot 52.3 percent (34 for 65) from the field. They also outscored the Mountain Hawks 42-14 in the paint.

UNLV 72, (13) INDIANA 69: Patrick McCaw scored 20 points and UNLV (5-1) hung on through the frantic final seconds against Indiana (4-2) in the fifth-place game of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational at Lahaina, Hawaii.

The Runnin’ Rebels bounced back from their opening loss to UCLA with wins over Chaminade and the Hoosiers, who leave Hawaii with just one win.

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Indiana trailed by 15 points in the first half and turned on some solid defense to get back in the game. The Hoosiers closed to 55-53 with 8:20 to play. The Runnin’ Rebels then went on a 12-1 spurt, with McCaw scoring seven of the points, including a run-closing 3.

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(12) KENTUCKY 89, EASTERN MICHIGAN 67: Makayla Epps had 21 points, six rebounds and eight assists and Janee Thompson scored 16 with a career-high tying 10 assists to help host Kentucky (5-0) beat Eastern Michigan (2-1).

Maci Morris hit five 3-pointers and scored 17 – both career highs – and Evelyn Akhator added 12 points for Kentucky.

(18) SOUTH FLORIDA 87, BUTLER 77: Courtney Williams had 29 points, 10 rebounds and five assists to help South Florida (3-1) beat Butler (1-2) at home.


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