McCain nets 35, ties Zion's Duke freshman record

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Jared McCain set a Duke freshman record with eight 3-pointers and matched a school freshman mark with 35 points as the No. 9 Blue Devils defeated Florida State 76-67 on Saturday.

McCain hit seven 3-pointers in the first half and shot 60% overall (12-for-20), including 8-for-11 from long distance in his seventh game scoring 20 or more points. His point total tied Zion Williamson’s 35-point performance against Syracuse in 2019.

“That’s crazy,” McCain said. “That’s nuts. I just thank God. … It’s wild company to be with.”

Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton was comfortable with his club’s defense against McCain, ultimately chalking the performance up to an opponent having a moment.

“It seems as though every team will have a player, or several players, that are capable of going off for big numbers, against you,” Hamilton said. “And I thought our defensive game plan, for the most part, was fine.

“But all of us who have played basketball, seems to have had one of those nights where they can’t miss, regardless of how you’re defended. And I thought McCain had one of those nights.”

McCain’s accuracy from 3-point range was a surprise. The 6-foot-3 guard had made a total of seven 3-pointers in his four games.

“It was a great win for us; they’re a dangerous team. They make it hard to run your offense,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “Jared, it’s pretty special what he did, coming into this atmosphere as a freshman. It was just a really special performance.”

Jeremy Roach scored 15 points as Duke (20-5, 11-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) won its fourth straight game. The Blue Devils have 20 or more wins for a 27th straight season. Kyle Filipowski had eight points and eight rebounds, helping Duke to a 35-22 edge in rebounds.

Jamir Watkins scored 15 points, his 11th straight game in double figures for Florida State (13-12, 7-7), which has lost three straight and five of six.

Even without Tyrese Proctor, the Blue Devils took a 19-16 lead on a McCain 3-pointer with 13:04 left in the first half and never looked back. They won for the eighth time in nine games in Tallahassee.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.