DURHAM, N.C. — Selected as a first-team, all-ACC player before he played his first game, Jalen Johnson appeared worthy of those accolades for No. 9 Duke on Saturday.
And freshman DJ Steward's play off the bench proved to be just as important for the Blue Devils.
Johnson made every shot he took from the field, finishing with 19 points and 19 rebounds, while Steward led Duke with 24 points as the Blue Devils held off a late Coppin State charge to beat the Eagles, 81-71, in the season-opening game for both teams at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The game was played with no spectators in attendance as part of Duke's health-and-safety play during the coronavirus pandemic. Both Coppin State and Duke were scheduled to open their seasons on Wednesday, but those games were called off due to positive COVID-19 tests.
Gardner-Webb's COVID-19 issues delayed Duke's opener. Coppin State had a positive test among its traveling party which caused its games at Marshall's multi-team event to be canceled Wednesday and Thursday.
Once the teams got to play, Duke looked good early in jumping to a 45-28 halftime lead. But the Blue Devils' turnover issues, particularly in the second half, allowed the Eagles to climb back as close as six points.
But Steward's shooting off the bench helped Duke hold on. The freshman guard hit 10 of 18 shots overall, including 4 of 9 3-pointers.
Duke overcame its own 22 turnovers by shooting 53.1% from the field.
