DURHAM, N.C. -- Taylor King scored a game-high 27 points as the 13th-ranked Blue Devils defeated Eastern Kentucky, 78-43, on Sunday afternoon at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
 
The Blue Devils improve to 6-0 on the year while the Colonels fall to 2-3. 
 
King's scoring output marks the ninth-highest single-game performance by a Duke rookie in school history while establishing a new school standard for reserves.  The previous mark for scoring by a player off the bench was 25 points, held by five players including Luol Deng against North Carolina on March 6, 2004.
 
Duke never trailed in the contest, snapping a 2-2 tie with a layup by Kyle Singler just over two minutes into the first half.  Singler's bucket started a 16-3 run that gave the Blue Devils an 18-5 advantage on King's three-pointer with 9:15 on the clock.  Duke led by a 34-12 count at intermission as Eastern Kentucky made just four-of-17 field goal attempts and committed 18 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes.
 
The Blue Devils led by as many as 38 points in the second half.
 
King connected on 9-of-14 field goals including 6-of-11 three-pointers.  The six triples match the Duke single-game record for rookies also held by Trajan Langdon and J.J. Redick.  DeMarcus Nelson and Gerald Henderson added 12 and 10 points, each.
 
Eastern Kentucky was led by Adam Leonard's 12 points. 

Freshman Taylor King

On his performance today:“Today I just felt like I needed to contribute as much as possible to the team, in as many minutes as I get.  I knew we were going to come in and play good defense, and I thought we did that.  I thought we struggled a little bit offensively, dribble-driving and penetrating.  We couldn’t really do that much against this team because they were a great defensive team.  We just needed to drive and kick and I was open on the wings most of the team and fortunately I shot the ball well.”

“I thought that I got good open shots and felt like I played good defense.  I thought my defense was pretty good and as a result my offense followed.”

On being in the zone:“It was fun.  My teammates got me open and that really helped.  They definitely drove and kicked, and I was open for shots and knocked them down.”

On how a performance like his today will help his confidence:“It can raise you up big-time.  You need confidence to help you play better and I thought I did that.  Especially coming off only playing two or three minutes in Maui, I thought I kept a good attitude and my teammates helped me out big-time.  My coaches said, ‘Just be ready to play,’ and that’s what I did.”