DURHAM, N.C. _ No. 2 Duke needed a second-half push to stay unbeaten on Friday night and Tre Jones delivered in a big way.
The sophomore guard scored a game-high 31 points, including 10 during a key 13-0 Duke second-half run that propelled the Blue Devils to a 74-63 win over Georgia State at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The win puts Duke (4-0) in line to take over the No. 1 spot when the new Associated Press Top 25 poll comes out on Monday. This week's No. 1 team, Kentucky, lost 67-64 at home to Evansville last Tuesday.
Georgia State (1-2), from the Sun Belt Conference, appeared ready to push Duke to the wire before the Blue Devils clamped down with their defense and Jones went on his scoring binge.
The game was tied at 40 after Corey Allen's layup for Georgia State with 16:24 to play.
But that would be the Panthers' last points for the next three minutes and nine seconds, as Duke executed a game-changing run behind Jones.
The suddenly inspired Blue Devils scored the game's next 13 points with Jones tallying 10 of them.
Jones started the run with a 3-pointer. Jack White added a free throw after Georgia State' s Kavonte Ivory was called for a flagrant foul. Jones drove the lane to score as Duke kept possession after the free throws and the Blue Devils led 46-40.
Jones' tough lay-in after a drive through a clogged lane gave Duke a 48-40 lead. His layup in transition while drawing a foul with 14:36 left gave him a free throw opportunity. He swished it to put Duke up 51-40.
With 10:40 left, Jones zipped a pass in transition to a wide-open Joey Baker who drilled a 3-pointer to put Duke up 57-44.
Baker's 3-pointer from in front of the Duke bench with 9:46 to play put the Blue Devils up 60-44. Duke's lead remained in double-digits the rest of the game.
