Deng Geu, North Dakota exit NCAA tournament heads high

RJ Barret and Zion Williamson put in an explosive performance to lead top-seeded Duke to an 85-62 win over North Dakota State in Friday night’s first-round game.

Barrett led Duke with 26 points and 14 rebounds, and Williamson exploded in the second half to tally 25 points.

While in the end it was a blowout, the contest was tight to start with Bison leading 12-5 early in the first half and held a 25-24 lead late in the half thanks to point guard Vinnie Shahid who scored team-high 20 points.

However, at the break Duke had a five-point advantage that quickly went to double figures shortly after restart.

Jordan Horn added 11 points, and Deng Geu logged 19 minutes off the bench scoring 6 points and picked 3 rebounds for Bison.