Top Ranked Duke Takes On Portland State As They Continue The Phil Knight Invitational

Top ranked Duke will now take their talents to Oregon as they continue the Phil Knight Invitational as they take on Portland State who is a member of the Big Sky Conference on Thanksgiving.

 In the middle of a stretch of four games in seven days, No. 1 Duke battles Portland State in the Phil Knight Invitational Thanksgiving Day in Portland, Ore. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211686813&DB_OEM_ID=4200

• Freshman Marvin Bagley III has scored 24 points or more in three of his first five games. Bagley is just the third freshman in Duke history to have three 20-point games in their first five contests, joining Jabari Parker (first seven games of 2013-14) and Johnny Dawkins (1982-83).
• Freshman Trevon Duval ranks in the NCAA’s top 20 in both assists (38, second) and steals (12, 16th)
• Duke leads the NCAA with 88 offensive rebounds (through Nov. 20). Wendell Carter, Jr. has 20 offensive boards to rank fourth. Duke’s 227 total rebounds are third-most in the NCAA.
• Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski is one win shy of his 200th when Duke is ranked No. 1 in the AP poll. Coach K is 199-29 (.873) with Duke ranked in the top spot. Coach K’s 228 games when coaching at No. 1 are tied with John Wooden for the most in history.
• Portland State has started its season with four wins in as many games. The Pilots are averaging 92.0 points per game which puts them in a tie for 28th in the NCAA.
• Senior guard Bryce Canda leads Portland State in scoring (17.5 ppg), rebounding (8.0 rpg) and steals (13).
• The only meeting between the Blue Devils and Pilots came in December of 1997. Duke ran away with an 89-39 win as Chris Burgess and Trajan Langdon paced the Blue Devils with 14 points apiece. 

The PK80 Motion bracket includes three ranked squads. Along with No. 1 Duke, Florida ranks seventh in the AP Poll and the Gonzaga Bulldogs check in at No. 17. Texas and Butler, Duke’s potential second round opponents, are both receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211686813&DB_OEM_ID=4200

As for Duke's last game they beat Furman on Monday at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Marvin Bagley III scored 24 points and No. 1 Duke beat Furman 92-63 on Monday night in the on-campus round of the PK80. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211686566&DB_OEM_ID=4200

Trevon Duval had a season-best 18 points, Wendell Carter Jr. added 14 and a fourth freshman -- Alex O'Connell -- scored 10 for the Blue Devils (5-0). "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211686566&DB_OEM_ID=4200

They shot nearly 61 percent and outscored Furman 64-28 in the paint, and have won  all four of their games at Cameron Indoor Stadium by at least 17 points. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211686566&DB_OEM_ID=4200

Tougher tests await this team in the coming days in Portland, Oregon -- possibly from No. 7 Florida or No. 17 Gonzaga in a later round of the event marking Nike founder Phil Knight's 80th birthday. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211686566&DB_OEM_ID=4200

This rout came after Duke strengthened its grip on the top spot in the AP Top 25, adding 20 more first-place votes to give the Blue Devils 54 of them -- or, all but 11 of the 65 ballots cast. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211686566&DB_OEM_ID=4200

John Davis III scored 15 points and Matt Rafferty added 11 for the Paladins (2-2), who have lost two straight. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211686566&DB_OEM_ID=4200

Bagley did it all during the 28-10 run late in the first half that put this one out of reach, scoring 11 points in 2 1/2 minutes during that stretch. He hit a couple of short jumpers and a layup, found Trevon Duval for a dunk and even made his second 3-pointer of the season. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211686566&DB_OEM_ID=4200

BIG PICTURE

Furman: A few Paladins were familiar with Cameron: Two senior starters, Davis and Daniel Fowler, also started here as freshmen in 2014 when the Blue Devils beat them by 39 . As a team, they acquitted themselves much better in this visit, even leading for almost 5 early minutes. The other 35 were pretty rough, though, and they kept Furman winless against Duke since 1951 -- when both schools were in the Southern Conference. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211686566&DB_OEM_ID=4200

Duke: After a bit of a sluggish start, the Blue Devils got back to looking more like their dominant selves than last time out, a rather sloppy 17-point victory three nights earlier against a winless Southern team. After that game, coach Mike Krzyzewski bemoaned his team's lack of practice time due to a busy week. No such issues this time."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211686566&DB_OEM_ID=4200

FIRE DRILL

Tip-off was delayed 15 minutes after a fire alarm in a second-floor men's restroom was tripped and the building was briefly evacuated, Duke spokesman Mike DeGeorge said. The alarm went off about an hour before the scheduled start time. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211686566&DB_OEM_ID=4200

Like Duke Portland State is also undefeated at 4-0. As for their last game they beat Utah State.

The Vikings are keeping the pressure on and it keeps paying off. The latest example is Monday's 83-79 victory over Utah State at Memorial Coliseum. "according to http://www.goviks.com/news/2017/11/20/mens-basketball-vikings-survive-aggies-second-half-challenge-improve-to-4-0.aspx

Full court pressure staked the Vikings to an 18-point first half lead. Then when Utah State came back to take the lead in the second half, Viking pressure forced nine Aggie turnovers down the stretch that turned the game back PSU's way. After some shaky moments at the free throw line late, Portland State improved to 4-0 on the season. "according to http://www.goviks.com/news/2017/11/20/mens-basketball-vikings-survive-aggies-second-half-challenge-improve-to-4-0.aspx

Guards Bryce Canda and Michael Mayhew led the Vikings with 17 points apiece. Mayhew was starting in place of Deontae North who sat out with an ankle sprain and posted a career scoring high. "according to http://www.goviks.com/news/2017/11/20/mens-basketball-vikings-survive-aggies-second-half-challenge-improve-to-4-0.aspx

The Vikings hit their first three three-point field goals and raced to a 19-9 lead six minutes into the game. Mayhew hit his first two long-range shots and the lead grew from there. "according to http://www.goviks.com/news/2017/11/20/mens-basketball-vikings-survive-aggies-second-half-challenge-improve-to-4-0.aspx

Portland State's trademark pressure had the Aggies scrambling. Utah State shot only 36% in the half and made 1-11 from three point range. The Vikings' full-court pressure forced 10 turnovers which they converted into 20 points. PSU led by as many as 18 and went into halftime with a 45-29 lead. "according to http://www.goviks.com/news/2017/11/20/mens-basketball-vikings-survive-aggies-second-half-challenge-improve-to-4-0.aspx

The Aggies three-point shooting fortunes changed dramatically in the second half, making their first four attempts. That cut the Viking lead to 50-44 with just over 17 minutes to play. "according to http://www.goviks.com/news/2017/11/20/mens-basketball-vikings-survive-aggies-second-half-challenge-improve-to-4-0.aspx

Later, Aggie guard Sam Merrill highlighted a 7-0 run that finally gave the Aggies the lead. Merrill hit a three pointer and a pair of free throws to put Utah State ahead 60-58 with 8:15 left in the game. "according to http://www.goviks.com/news/2017/11/20/mens-basketball-vikings-survive-aggies-second-half-challenge-improve-to-4-0.aspx

But the Viking defense clamped down, forcing five straight Aggie turnovers. That ignited the offense. A pair of Traylin Farris free throws got the Vikings the lead back at 62-61 with 5:48 to play. Then a driving basket by Canda and a fast break jump shot by Mayhew had the PSU lead at 66-61 at the 4:35 mark. "according to http://www.goviks.com/news/2017/11/20/mens-basketball-vikings-survive-aggies-second-half-challenge-improve-to-4-0.aspx

Portland State never trailed again, building the lead to as many as seven. The Vikings were able to weather a .643 second-half shooting performance by the Aggies, including seven three-pointers. "according to http://www.goviks.com/news/2017/11/20/mens-basketball-vikings-survive-aggies-second-half-challenge-improve-to-4-0.aspx

For the game, PSU shot .424 from the field and .706 at the free throw line. The Aggies shot .500 from the field and .577 at the line. In all, Portland State forced a total of 21 Utah State turnovers, good for 27 points. "according to http://www.goviks.com/news/2017/11/20/mens-basketball-vikings-survive-aggies-second-half-challenge-improve-to-4-0.aspx

"I think we played a very ball-conservative, sharp team that we turned over 21 times, which was just enough to win. Our guys got the to the free throw line and made just enough to win," said Viking Coach Barret Peery. "according to http://www.goviks.com/news/2017/11/20/mens-basketball-vikings-survive-aggies-second-half-challenge-improve-to-4-0.aspx

"Utah State did a great job of coming out in the second half and attacking us. They had nothing to lose, let it fly and it went in, so then we had a new game on our hands. We found a way." "according to http://www.goviks.com/news/2017/11/20/mens-basketball-vikings-survive-aggies-second-half-challenge-improve-to-4-0.aspx

Joining Canda and Mayhew in double figures were Holland Woods (12), Traylin Farris (11) and Brandon Hollins (11). Canda grabbed nine rebounds for the Vikings while Deante Strickland handed out seven assists. "according to http://www.goviks.com/news/2017/11/20/mens-basketball-vikings-survive-aggies-second-half-challenge-improve-to-4-0.aspx

Merrill led Utah State, now 2-3, with 23 points. Dwayne Brown Jr. had 13 points and 15 rebounds. "according to http://www.goviks.com/news/2017/11/20/mens-basketball-vikings-survive-aggies-second-half-challenge-improve-to-4-0.aspx

GAME NOTES: The game was the first meeting between the schools in 37 years… PSU is 4-0 for the first time since 2014-15… the Vikings face top-ranked Duke on Thursday in the first game of the PK80 Invitational at Memorial Coliseum. "according to http://www.goviks.com/news/2017/11/20/mens-basketball-vikings-survive-aggies-second-half-challenge-improve-to-4-0.aspx

Tip-off is set for 4:30pm. The game will be televised on ESPN. "according to http://www.goduke.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=4200&SPID=1845&SPSID=22726