Duke returned to the winners column Friday with a 76-54 victory over Bellarmine, the program’s very first Division I contest.

The schools have met in the past, but that contest was held as a preseason exhibition a season after the Knights won the Division II national title. Tonight’s game had much more meaning for Bellarmine, thus a different energy was brought to the court.

“Bellarmine - it’s their first game in Division I,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “They’ve been a powerhouse at Division II. For those kids, playing in tonight’s game was a historic game for them. And that’s how hard his team played. We knew that coming in. We think they’re good anyway.

"Tonight they’re going to play for God and country - which is their program. If you know their program at all, its one of the outstanding programs in the country. He’s done a magnificent job with it.”

The level of intensity that Bellarmine brought to Cameron Indoor Stadium provided a perfect opportunity for the Blue Devils to prove they’re up to the challenge, and poised to correct issues that were present in the first two contests with Coppin State and Michigan State.

Duke took advantage, and proved to Krzyzewski they can bring energy and focus for a full 40 minutes of action. As it is for every program, this is more of a challenge than ever before as the seats in arenas are empty and the emotions set forth by crowds is not present.

Energy and intensity were only a small part of what Duke needed to correct from Tuesday’s game.

One of the most notable areas in need of improvement was offense. Efficiency and movement were nonexistent against Michigan State. And while much of that is on the players, Krzyzewski and his staff took responsibility for not putting the team in the best situations to perform.

“We went with a different lineup,” he said. “We’re still learning so much about our team. There were things that we did not like that we were doing, and putting our team in not the most advantageous positions.”

Duke started Matthew Hurt, Jalen Johnson, Mark Williams , Wendell Moore Jr., and Jordan Goldwire. That group was quickly broken up after Johnson picked up two fouls within the first three minutes.

But Duke managed to adjust with a strong showing from Jaemyn Brakefield.

The freshman, for a second game in a row, made an almost instant impact. Brakefield played 16 minutes in the game, but finished second on the team in scoring with 12 points on 4-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc.

Aside from the scoring, he helped space the floor for others - Hurt in particular.

Overall, tonight’s game was a step toward correcting some of the issues. Duke handed out 20 assists on 29 made baskets, while hitting 51.8-percent of their shots.

“There were longer segments in the game where we played offense well," Krzyzewski said. "Still we turned it over a little bit too much.”

Turnovers were again an issue, as Duke handed the ball over 18 times. Bellarmine turned those miscues into 18 points. However, unlike the game with Michigan State, Duke was able to counter those challenges with shot opportunities in the half court.

Those opportunities were a direct result of better ball movement and spacing, which was ultimately a product of changes made by the staff.

Hurt has proven to be Duke’s most consistent player this season, and on Friday he was outstanding, posting 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting, including 6-of-8 from 3-point range. He also grabbed six rebounds and handed out two assists.

Between Brakefield’s spacing, and the team’s improved ball movement, Hurt was getting good looks all night.

“My teammates were finding me, hitting me in the right positions,” Hurt said. “I give all the credit to them.”

Krzyzewski specifically notes Brakefield’s play and how it benefits Hurt.

“He’s easy to play with because he can space the floor,” he said. “I mean, 4 for 4 from three is outstanding. It’s obvious that he can shoot, and we’ve got to make sure he’s put in the position. He can spread us a little bit, which gives Matt a little bit more room.”

Goldwire was also a key component to Duke’s success. He played 32 minutes and gave the Blue Devils seven points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals.

He also gave the team great leadership. According to Krzyzewski, his and Hurt’s leadership when the game got close toward the end of the first half was a big part of the team’s success. That leadership out of the half was also important.

“The start of the second half, our defense was outstanding for the first 10 minutes. Two of our veterans, Matt Hurt and Jordan Goldwire really led us well tonight.

“J-Gold right now gives us that leadership.”

Williams, who had the first start of his career after playing just eight combined minutes in the first two games, was a big piece to the puzzle. Tonight, the 7-footer played 15 minutes and provided Duke with five points, seven rebounds, four blocks and three assists.

His presence alone impacted the game. Bellarmine on multiple occasions turned the ball over after attempted to drive to the basket only to be met by Williams. Bad shots, poor passes and a struggle to maintain a pivot were all the result of Williams holding his post in the paint.

What also made Williams so successful was his ability to maintain his feet, and not leave the ground for pump fakes. He was a difference maker.

“I thought Mark did a really good job for us,” Krzyzewski said. “The way we were playing before is what they call more a read spot. In the NBA, without trying to explain it, some people call it a dunk spot, but it’s more of a read spot where you play on the baseline and come in. And he was adapting to that, but he’s better in what we’re doing. He’s a smart player. He’s ball friendly. He’s able to keep some balls alive by knocking them out.”

His presence also made his teammates better and allowed them to play more aggressively.

“Just knowing that he has my back, so I can push up and test more because he’s probably going to block the shot,” Matthew Hurt said when asked what Williams’s presence allows him to do. “So it makes a big difference for me.”

It wasn’t all peaches and cream on defense, though. There were still some issues with preventing Bellarmine from getting to the basket, particularly when Williams was not in the lineup. The Knights scored 38 points in the paint. Through the first half, the visitors had 20 points in the paint.

Duke improved in that regard during the first eight to 10 minutes of the second half, allowing just two points in the paint by the second media timeout. But, things did breakdown a little, as Bellarmine scored 16 points around the hoop in the final 10 minutes of action.

While there is undoubtedly a lot of improvement to be made, things appear to be trending upward. For Krzyzewski and his staff, it’s about being patient and building from each game.

“We are not a veteran team,” he said. “We have seven of 11 guys that are new. We’re not coming back with three starters who played 30 minutes a game or four starters or eight upperclassmen or whatever.

“You’ve got to get to know one another. It’s not going to be a well oiled machine, but it’s going to be a hard working machine. And a machine that keeps cutting down on the turnovers. We just have to keep working and keep trying to get better. The attitude of our kids is terrific.”