Atlanta, GA (SportsNetwork.com) - Jabari Parker had 16 points and 14 rebounds as No. 5 Duke cruised to a 68-51 win over Georgia Tech on Tuesday.
Rodney Hood scored 14 points for the Blue Devils (21-5, 10-3 ACC), who have won their past four games. Rasheed Sulaimon gave 11 points to the victory.
"We're really pleased with our performance tonight," said Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski. "We knew Georgia Tech, having six days off, were going to come out ready to play. It was a good crowd. Our guys played a heck of a first half. We played with amazing energy and focus."
Robert Carter scored 13 points with eight rebounds, Kammeon Holsey had 12 points and Chris Bolden added 10 for the Yellow Jackets (13-13, 4-9), who have dropped three of four.
"We just weren't able to get over that hump," said Georgia Tech head coach Brian Gregory. "When you play a quality team like Duke is, you need to have that effort on every play. I think we did a pretty good job in the second half defensively and did a pretty good job on the glass. Our offensive inefficiency against their pressure was the key."
Duke never trailed as the team raced out to a 12-3 lead and Hood and Sulaimon later hit consecutive 3-pointers for an 18-8 lead seven minutes in.
The Blue Devils built their lead as high as 19 points in the half before taking a 43-27 lead into the break.
A Bolden free throw halfway through the second half got Georgia Tech to within 12 at 52-40, but any hopes of a comeback were quickly dashed as Hood countered with a 3-pointer and Parker followed with a bucket and free throw for an 18- point advantage.
Duke's lead reached as high as 21 points as the team cruised to the finish.
Game Notes
Duke plays at North Carolina on Thursday ... Georgia Tech hosts Clemson on Saturday ... Duke has won seven straight over Georgia Tech and holds a 68-23 lead in the series ... Duke shot 45.3 percent to 39.1 percent for Georgia Tech.