Sophomore forward Matthew Hurt scored 18 points and three Duke freshmen also cracked double digits as the 21st-ranked Blue Devils opened Atlantic Coast Conference play Wednesday night with a 75-65 win over Notre Dame.
D.J. Steward had 16 points to go with seven rebounds, while Jeremy Roach scored 14 and Jaemyn Brakefield added 10 for Duke, which led from the second minute onward.
The Blue Devils (3-2, 1-0) entered the game in jeopardy of falling below .500 for the first time since 1999, but convincingly steered clear.
Dane Goodwin scored 25 points for the Fighting Irish (2-3, 0-1), hitting 10 of 12 shots from the field with four 3-pointers.