Score Duke vs. Ohio State, results: Buckeyes upset No. 1 Blue Devils in first game after taking top spot

Duke 1st place in the AP Top 25 may not last more than a week after the Blues lost 71-66 at Ohio State on Tuesday night a day after rising to the top of the charts. Ohio State’s star striker EJ Liddell hit a competitive jumper with 15 seconds left to put the Buckeyes 69-66 ahead, and Duke freshman phenom Paolo Banchero missed a three-pointer ending the game with three seconds left.

Ohio State closed the game 14-1, beating Duke 41-23 in the second half after leading 49-34 with an 18:21 score. The Blues (7-1) were held to a goalless draw in the final 4 and a half minutes of the game and the return win spurred a storm at OSU’s Great Value Arena to celebrate the transformative result. the trajectory of the Buckeyes season . Ohio State (5-2) lost a six-point game at Xavier on November 18 and lost a 71-68 game with Florida on November 24 on buzzer-beater.

But this time, the Buckeyes thrived in times of crisis. While it was Liddell who hit the dagger late, his colleague Zed Key carried the state of Ohio all night. The 6 foot 8 tall second player led all scorers with 20 points, including 11 in the second half. Liddell finished with 14 points, 14 rebounds and six assists.

Banchero once again had their best in the first half, scoring 10 points in the opener before scoring 0-7 in the second half and finishing 4-14 for the game. The loss set a record 185 consecutive wins for Duke in games as the team took a double-digit lead at halftime, according to Jared Berson of ESPN Stats and Info.

Ohio State is more physical

Duke passed Ohio State 38-30 in scores, but that number doesn’t illustrate who really controls the post. The Blue Devils have been penalized for 23 fouls, compared with just 14 in Ohio State. Four Duke players ended the game with four fouls, and reserve defender Theo John fouled. Ohio State has struggled to take advantage of the free-throw line, with only 11 of the 22 pitches to charity. But the Buckeyes found buckets in the paint via Key’s internal induction when needed, and beat Duke 12-7 at a second chance point.

Cedric Russell comes to life

When Ohio State landed Louisiana on the transfer of Cedric Russell at the end of last season, it seemed like a coup for the Buckeyes, who were replacing key bodyguards CJ Walker and Duane Washington from the 21-10 team. last year. But Russell, who averaged 17.2 points with 40% of the 3-pointers last season, has been quiet in his first four games for the Buckeyes.

He picked the perfect moment to break out. Russell played a top 15 minutes of the season and scored nine of his 12 points in the second half to help spark Ohio State’s comeback. Ohio State led 62-55 when Russell re-registered with 5:50 left. With 2:32 left, he slashed the deficit to 66-64 with a 3-pointer. Russell also hit a couple of key rebounds in the final minutes before freezing the game at the free-throw line with a several phases performed in the last seconds.

Duke’s inability to shoot is a problem

There’s a lot to like about the Blue Devils, who entered the game with wins over Gonzaga and Kentucky to return to their No. But one thing that is becoming a focus issue for the Duke is its lack of external photography capabilities. The Blues made just four of 14 three-pointers on Tuesday and just one of eight from deep in the second half.

Duke ranks 204 nationally for 3-point shot rate at 33.1%, and that number is boosted by nights of good shots against superior enemies. Against the three quality opponents the Blue Devils have faced (Kentucky, Gonzaga, Ohio State), they’re just 12 out of 50, just 24% of the clip. This team has lost top ADCs outside, Matthew Hurt and DJ Steward, from last season’s team, and until they find consistency from deep inside, their offense will likely fall apart. like in the second half against the Buckeyes.