Duke secured a dominant 90-47 victory against Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville on Friday.
The Blue Devils struggled early, missing nine of their first 11 shots, before finding their rhythm.
Duke utilized a significant size advantage to establish control, eventually pulling away with a 25-6 run.
The team held the Cougars to 30 percent shooting from the floor and 14 percent from behind the arc, according to Yahoo Sports.
Patrick Ngongba provided a defensive spark with five of the team’s eight blocks.
Cayden Boozer led the rebounding effort with 10 boards while contributing 11 points.
Caleb Foster added 12 points off the bench for the Blue Devils.
Duke head coach Jon Scheyer addressed the team’s ongoing offensive adjustments following the game.
He noted that the team is currently working through role identification, as reported by Yahoo Sports.
“Offensively, I thought we looked disjointed,” Scheyer said.
“We’re a little bit behind in role identification right now — knowing the strengths of each guy and how to position them the right way.”
The coaching staff intends to take the next step in refining these positions to support the team’s overall performance.
The Blue Devils forced 19 turnovers and recorded 11 steals throughout the contest.
This performance marked a shift in intensity compared to their previous outing against Michigan State.
The visitors previously shared their perspective on the matchup through a public statement regarding the trip to Durham, per the SIUE Cougars athletics site.
Duke now prepares to face Illinois at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Tuesday.
The team will look to build on its improved defensive physicality and rebounding success in that high-powered matchup.
The Blue Devils finished the night shooting 45 percent from the field.
Sebastian Wilkins also contributed by hitting 9-10 from the free-throw line.