DURHAM, N.C. — Freshman forward Paolo Banchero scored 17 points as No. 9 Duke beat Florida State 88-70 on Saturday night with retiring Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski back after missing the second half of the Blue Devils’ previous game because he wasn’t feeling well.
Reserve forward Joey Baker provided a big lift for Duke, scoring 12 points on four first-half 3-pointers. That included back-to-back shots from each corner during the Blue Devils’ push shortly before halftime that finally stretched out the lead after both teams rarely missed to start.
The Blue Devils (23-4, 13-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) closed the half on a 12-2 burst to take a 52-41 lead against the injury-depleted Seminoles, then did a better job containing FSU’s drivers as they broke open the game in the second half.