DURHAM, N.C. — Duke walked out of Cameron Indoor Stadium Friday night having won its hardest fought game of the season since the opener with Kansas.

The Blue Devils used a strong second half performance, led by sophomore Tre Jones and freshman Vernon Carey, Jr., to knock off a tough-as-nails Georgia State squad, 74-63.

Jones finished the game with a career-high 31 points on 10-of-19 shooting, including 4-of-8 from long range. He also added six assists and four steals, leading Duke in all three categories.

Carey had the best game of his young career, scoring 20 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.

“Tre was magnificent,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “Vernon Carey, not just for a freshman, he had a helluva game.”

The visiting Panthers did not shy away from the Blue Devils and was prepared to battle from the moment they stepped onto the floor.

It didn’t look as if that would necessarily be the case on the Panthers’ first three possessions, as Duke’s pressure defense forced turnover in each, including two steals within the first 18 seconds of the game.

But Georgia State settled down and took the fight to Duke from that point forward in the half.

“I thought they were tougher than us in the first half by far,” Krzyzewski said. “I thought we were not ready for that level of intensity.

“First half I thought we were outplayed. We were fortunate to be up two.”

Had it not been for a Matt Hurt offensive rebound and put-back in the final second of the half, the teams would have entered the break tied up at 34.

And while that final bucket of the half from Hurt, two of his four on the night, put Duke up just two, in some ways it seemed to shift the moment and deflate Georgia State just enough.

Defensively, Duke had forced turnovers, and held the Panthers to 41-percent from the floor, but had given up five 3-pointers on 10 attempts. It was certainly a point of emphasis for Duke coming out of the half.

And the Blue Devils responded, allowing just two attempts in the entire second half, neither of which connected.

“I felt like they may have played harder than us in the first half, for sure, beating us on the 50-50 balls, getting second shots and things like that,” Jones said. “Second half we came out a lot tougher. A lot more determined to take complete control of the game.”

Jones set the tone for that, showing an aggressive side he hasn’t put on display too often. It has appeared a time or two, but against Georgia State, it was on an entirely different level. And in true Tre Jones fashion, he downplayed his performance.

Instead, he chalked it up to a product of the defense and the opportunities presented to him. Yes, those things are certainly in play for him to have the kind of game he did, but it was also about an intensity level that he brought to the floor.

Without it, the second half might have played out much like the first did.

“Just whatever the team needs to win, for sure,” Jones said. “Just trying to put us in the best situation to win. Tonight the defense was a giving me my shot a little more. I work everyday so when those moments come up I am ready for it.”

In addition to Jones’ play, fellow sophomore Joey Baker brought a level of energy in the second half that Duke seemed to be missing.

He played in the first half, but it was in the second that he came to life, scoring eight points in a little over 10 minutes of action in the final 20 minutes of play. Duke led by just 10 points with 10:40 on the clock. Georgia State looked to still be very much in the game.

Baker ripped away GSU’s confidence with two 3-pointers within 46 seconds to give Duke a 16-point advantage. From that point forward, the Blue Devils had control.

But, it was not just about those two 3-pointers. He also brought the legendary Duke floor-slap to the game, which was followed by a Duke stop. The energy he brought to the team at that point was crucial.

“Everyone that knows Joey knows that is how he is,” Jones said. “He can spark us at any given time. A lot of people think it’s just with his threes, but the energy he brings on defense with the floor slap, I think led to a stop and a couple more buckets, so he definitely did bring the energy for us tonight and that was huge.”

In addition to Baker’s second half boost, Duke received a powerful showing from Carey.

The Duke big man is learning how to play in the paint on the college level, and though he acknowledges that it is a process, he’s been making huge strides over the last week.

Duke associated head coach Nate James has been emphasizing the need for Carey to be a physical force on the glass. His message to the freshman is to build off that effort and translate it to the rest of his game.

And Carey has bought in completely.

“Just staying aggressive on the boards,” Carey said. “Just rebounding, really, is the main point for me. That’s what I’ve been working on with Coach Nate (James). I feel like if I rebound, it will take care of everything else. I’m just focusing on rebounding more.”

Carey drew 10 Georgia State fouls in the game and made 6-of-11 free throws. While his numbers from the free throw line need to improve, his ability to make it to the line is encouraging.

“He’s picking it up every single game,” Jones said of his teammate. “He’s getting more and more dominant. He’s using his big body against the opposing team. Just the way he can finish with both hands and everything around the rim. He’s able to dominate in the post.”

Duke also got a strong effort from Cassius Stanley, who despite shooting just 2-of-12 found other ways to contribute. Defensively, he was strong with two steals and one block, but he was a also huge for the Blue Devils on the glass, grabbing nine boards.

Jack White was also key to Duke’s success, pulling down 10 rebounds and handing out four assists.