DURHAM One of the best point guards in the nation is on crutches, and there's no indication when - or if - he will be back this season for No.1-ranked Duke.

With the Blue Devils adjusting to playing without injured freshman Kyrie Irving, the contributions of their bench were one positive sign Saturday during an 84-47 defeat of Saint Louis at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

So was the performance of a high-pressure defense that forced 22 turnovers and allowed just one 3-pointer to the Billkens (3-4).

"That's going to be something we do now at a higher level, focus on our defense with Kyrie out," said forward Kyle Singler.

Singler and guard Nolan Smith, Duke's high-scoring seniors, predictably led the offense as Irving sat out his second straight game with an injury to the big toe on his right foot.

Smith scored a game-high 22 points and handed out five assists. Singler added 21 points and had a game-high three steals.

But the contributions from three reserves were the most important development for the Blue Devils (10-0). Sophomore guard Seth Curry, who admitted he has struggled with his confidence during recent weeks, made three 3-pointers, scored 11 points and had a team-high six assists.

Freshman forward Josh Hairston scored a career-high 12. Another freshman, point guard Tyler Thornton, ran the team skillfully during his 14 minutes, passing off for four assists with no turnovers.

"You're going to have to have one or multiple guys come in and make up for that," Curry said of losing Irving. "So I'm just working hard in practice, handling the ball more, trying to make plays."

Although Duke played well on defense, its offense struggled at times. Smith is adjusting to handling the primary point guard role and committed four turnovers. Guard Andre Dawkins, who made eight 3-pointers and scored 28 points Wednesday against Bradley, was held to two points by a Saint Louis team that was determined to make him a driver rather than a spot-up shooter.

That made the play of Duke's reserves even more crucial.

"The biggest bright spot, I thought, was our bench," said associate head coach Chris Collins.

Collins wasn't able to shed much more light on Irving's status. He said a hard cast has been put on Irving's foot because doctors thought that was the best way to protect it while they analyze the injury more.

The possibility that Irving will miss the rest of the season hasn't been ruled out.

"He's 18 years old," Collins said. "He's going to play basketball for a long, long time. We have to think about his health and what's going to be best for him in the long term."

Duke has an eight-day break before a Dec.20 home game against Elon, and Curry said that's a good thing. He said it gives the team time to make adjustments in practice as it attempts to build upon Saturday's performance.

Collins said it was easy to set ball screens for Irving and then allow him to make plays for himself and others with his penetration. Now Duke has to find other ways to score.

"We've kind of changed the offense a little bit, trying to get a little more continuity, more ball movement, run off screens and throw it in the post a little more," Curry said. "So we're changing a little bit."