PORTLAND, ORE. _ For top-ranked Duke, a first-round matchup at the PK80 Invitational against Big Sky Conference opponent Portland State was supposed to be a light appetizer before Thanksgiving dinner.
The hometown Vikings came to play, though, taking a lead at halftime before the Blue Devils eventually found their stride and earned a 99-81 victory.
Freshman guard Trevon Duval scored 22 points for Duke, with 14 coming in the second half. Freshmen forwards Marvin Bagley III (18 points, 15 rebounds) and Wendell Carter Jr. (16 points, 10 rebounds) each posted double-doubles, while senior guard Grayson Allen shook off a 2-for-7 performance from the field to finish with 14 points and nine assists.
Duke (5-0) finally pulled ahead for good on a Carter basket with 13:54 remaining in the second half to go up 61-60. Portland State hung around, and was still within five points with 8:42 left, but a 16-6 run by the Blue Devils put them up 88-73 and they cruised from there.
The Blue Devils went 4-for-18 from behind the 3-point line, but still shot 51 percent for the game. Portland State started out hot, but made only 34 percent of its shots in being outscored 54-32 by the Blue Devils after halftime. Duke shot 42 free throws, making 31.
Despite being played in the Vikings home city, the crowd at Veterans Memorial Coliseum wore mostly blue and cheered loudly for Duke, reflecting the Blue Devils' national appeal.
But Portland State (4-1) came out ready to go toe-to-toe with the Blue Devils. With 7:26 left in the half, the Vikings took their largest lead at 35-27 before the Blue Devils rallied to tie the game at 42-42. Portland State responded with a 7-3 run to take a 49-45 halftime advantage.
Senior guard Deontae North scored 24 points to lead Portland State, but was ejected after drawing a pair of technical fouls in the second half � the second while waiting at the scorer's table to check into the game.
The Blue Devils will face either Butler or Texas in the semifinals of the Motion Bracket at 5:30 p.m. Friday at the Moda Center, the newer and larger of the two arenas hosting the PK80.
The PK80 event is a 16-team tournament divided into two eight-team brackets, celebrating the 80th birthday of Nike founder Phil Knight. Nike's world headquarters are located near Portland in Beaverton, Ore.
This was the second all-time meeting between Duke and Portland State. Duke won 89-39 on Dec. 30, 1997, in Durham.
