NEW YORK _ Duke started four freshmen for the first time this season on Thursday night.
One of them stood out above the rest.
Vernon Carey, Jr., tallied 31 points with 12 rebounds as the No. 1-ranked Blue Devils topped California, 87-52, in the 2K Empire Classic semifinals at Madison Square Garden.
Duke (5-0) advances to meet Georgetown in Friday night's tournament championship game (7 p.m., ESPN2). The Hoyas (4-1) knocked off No. 22 Texas, 82-66, in Thursday night's first semifinal.
After tallying 20 points and 14 rebounds in Duke's 74-63 win over Georgia State last Friday night, the 6-10 Carey turned in an even more productive night against the Golden Bears (4-1). The freshman center made 11 of 18 shots overall. He also hit his only 3-point attempt.
Two of his classmates, Cassius Stanley and Wendell Moore, joined him as double-figure scorers for the Blue Devils. Stanley finished with 11 points while Moore scored 10 in his first starting assignment.
While its three freshmen led the way on offense, Duke had its usual strong night of defense to make for a one-sided final score. California shot 36.5% while turning the ball over 15 times.
