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DURHAM, N. Kevin Norwood Jersey Seattle Seahawks .C. -- Rodney Hood connected from all over the court while freshman Jabari Parker was busy swatting shots and scoring in transition. And sixth-ranked Duke needed every bit of that production to hold off East Carolina. Hood scored a career-high 30 points Tuesday night to help the Blue Devils beat the Pirates 83-74 in the NIT Season Tipoff. Parker had 21 points, nine rebounds and six blocks for the Blue Devils (4-1), who survived a tougher-than-expected fight from the underdog Pirates to improve to 24-2 all-time in the early season tournament. It was also the second game in as many nights for both teams, who were playing in a four-team pod at Dukes Cameron Indoor Stadium. "The last two nights, weve played our butts off," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "This is not about Duke not playing (well). ... Dont undersell what they did. We were ready and we played hard. I thought we brought great energy but so did they. This was a really good basketball game." Duke led by a point with about 7 minutes left but stayed in front and did enough in the final 2 1/2 minutes to turn away East Carolina (4-1), earning a trip to next weeks NIT semifinals for a matchup with Alabama in New Yorks Madison Square Garden. Hood, a 6-foot-8 sophomore transfer from Mississippi State, finished 8 for 10 from the field and hit all 12 of his free throws while playing nearly the entire 40 minutes. Parker made his biggest impact with a couple of key second-half plays, from taking a rebound all the way for a team-rousing dunk to blocking consecutive shots with his team protecting a 75-70 lead. "We couldnt scout them like we normally do and we tried not to stay in the gym last night and watch them play because we had a quick turnaround," Hood said. "But theyre a great team. Theyve got a lot of talent, especially for a mid-major. They played hard. They wasnt scared of us." The Blue Devils, who beat UNC Asheville 91-55 on Monday night, cooled off significantly after a hot start and shot 47 per cent, failing to reach at least 50 per cent for the first time this year. The Pirates had a much tougher time in their Tipoff opener, needing to rally from 17 down after halftime to beat Norfolk State 76-74. That game at Cameron marked a return to unfriendly surroundings for Pirates coach Jeff Lebo, who played for Dean Smith at hated rival North Carolina in the 1980s. Lebos team turned in a strong fight less than 24 hours later, but couldnt pull off a huge upset. "We can draw a lot from this -- our kids playing in this stage, this environment," Lebo said. "We dont get a chance to do that too often. We draw a lot of positives, and when we watch the tape, I think well get some confidence from that. "And then weve got to be able to build up on it. We cant say, Hey, we played well and were done for the year." Prince Williams scored 15 for the Pirates, who shot 40 per cent and helped themselves by hitting the offensive glass for a 16-3 edge in second-chance points. East Carolina fell to 0-21 all-time against Duke, though the Pirates flirted with earning their first win against a ranked opponent in nearly 11 years. Duke led by 18 points late in the first half after an 11-for-11 shooting start, but the Pirates didnt let the Blue Devils put together a knockout run. Instead, the Pirates closed the gap to 11 by halftime, and then kept inching closer and closer from there. East Carolina twice got within a point, the last coming on Williams free throws with 6:58 left, but never could push in front. Duke helped itself by playing with composure down the stretch, hitting all eight of its free throws in the final 2:34 to stay in control. Parker also came through with a big defensive sequence after his coast-to-coast dunk, swatting a leaner from Williams out of bounds and then stuffing a driving shot from Antonio Robinson with about 2 minutes left. Hood hit two free throws to make it 77-70, and East Carolina didnt get closer than five again. Duke finished 24 for 31 from the foul line, including 19 for 24 after halftime. The Blue Devils, who beat Florida Atlantic on Friday night, are off until Sunday, when they host Vermont. "Now weve got to rest," Krzyzewski said. "I mean, our guys are dead." Michael Bennett . The Jets are 1-2-1 against Nashville this year despite outscoring the Predators 11-10.  Blake Wheeler and Olli Jokinen lead Winnipeg with four points, while Craig Smith has four for the Predators. Marshawn Lynch Jersey Seattle Seahawks . The Kings have gone 6-0-3 over their last nine games despite having been held to three goals or fewer in eight of 10 contests this month. Los Angeles has failed to score more than two goals six times in that span.CINCINNATI - Starter Mat Latos could make one more start in the minors before the Reds will consider activating him and bringing their rotation back to full strength. Latos had to leave a minor league rehab start after only 67 pitches on Wednesday night at Triple-A Louisville because he developed a cramp in a calf. The Reds were planning to have him throw approximately 100 pitches and then activate him if there was no problem. The club still hadnt talked to Latos on Thursday morning. Manager Bryan Price said no decision had been made on whether another rehab start is needed to get Latos ready to throw 100 pitches in the majors. "Its under consideration what we want to do, whether we want to activate him or give him one more start to get stretched out," Price said. Latos went 14-7 last season with a 3.16 ERA in 32 starts. He had surgery after the season to have a bone chip removed from his elbow. He tore cartilage in his left knee while working out and had surgery the day that spring training opened. He was beyond the knee problems when he developed soreness in his pitching foorearm and had to rest again. Percy Harvin Jersey Seattle Seahawks. Price said the latest setback doesnt seem to be serious. "He may have wanted to stay in (the game), but it was apparent that its something he shouldnt be pitching with," Price said. "Hes getting closer and closer to rejoining the club. It was disappointing that he didnt get up to the innings and the pitch limit that wed set. "So hell be in later today and well reassess the severity of it. It doesnt sound like its really an issue." Right-hander Alfredo Simon has gone 7-3 in Latos spot. Simon could move back into the bullpen when Latos returns, or the Reds could decide to move left-hander Tony Cingrani into a relief role. First baseman Joey Votto took ground balls and batting practice again before the final game of a series against San Francisco on Thursday. Votto has been on the disabled list since May 21 with a strained muscle above his left knee. When Votto has full strength back in the muscle, hell begin a rehab assignment in the minors. ___ Follow Joe Kay on Twitter: http://twitter.com/apjoekay cheap jerseys cheap jerseys from china ' ' '