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Duke looked like it was in a great position to beat Ohio State but foul trouble, a physical game and a sudden onset of cold-shooting tilted things Ohio State’s way and the Buckeyes pulled off the upset, 71-66.
And Duke, for the first time this year, looked young. Or maybe it was a combination of youth and tired legs after the emotional win over Gonzaga. This one was never going to be easy.
After being able to respond to virtually everything the Buckeyes threw at them, late in the second half Duke seemed out of answers. Even Wendell Moore, who has been so utterly reliable, seemed low on energy.
Although Duke didn’t turn the ball over much - just seven, continuing a promising trend - the Devils didn’t shoot well, just 38.5 percent overall and 28.6 percent from behind the line. Three starters - Paolo Banchero, Jeremy Roach and Trevor Keels - combined to shoot 11-36 - and Duke’s backcourt was just 7-22. Against Gonzaga, Roach and Keels combined to hit 5-24, against the Citadel 6-20 and against Lafayette 4-16. The All-Paul backcourt hasn’t had a good shooting night since combining to hit 10-16 against Gardner-Webb.
A lot of what happened against Ohio State is correctible but the shooting is worrisome and is becoming a problem because it allows opponents to focus on other players.
On the other hand, it may open a door for AJ Griffin to get more playing time.
Jim will be along soon with his take.
- BUCK-SHOT: No. 1 Duke men’s basketball upset by Ohio State
- Five observations from Duke men’s basketball’s first half against Ohio State
- Duke falters late in loss at Ohio State. Here’s what we learned about the Blue Devils
- Duke vs. Ohio State score, takeaways: Buckeyes upset Blue Devils in first game after jumping to No. 1
- Ohio State upsets No. 1 Duke with second-half rally in Big Ten/ACC Challenge
- Ohio State basketball upsets top-ranked Duke 71-66 with 15-point comeback in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge
- Despite early errors, Buckeyes come back to beat No. 1 Duke 71-66
- Ohio State Knocks Off No. 1-Ranked Duke With Second-Half Comeback To Secure 71-66 Win At Home
Poll
Player Of The Game vs. Ohio State
This poll is closed
-
74%
Wendell Moore
(214 votes) -
1%
Paolo Banchero
(5 votes) -
3%
Mark Williams
(11 votes) -
1%
Jeremy Roach
(5 votes) -
0%
Trevor Keels
(1 vote) -
2%
AJ Griffin
(6 votes) -
3%
Joey Baker
(11 votes) -
1%
Theo John
(5 votes) -
10%
Bates Jones
(30 votes)
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