Four days after Duke knocked off former-No. 1 Gonzaga, the current-No. 1 Blue Devils fell 71-66 to Ohio State in Columbus.
Duke seemed to have everything going their way in the first half. The Blue Devils held a 43-30 lead into the half, and it felt as though it would be smooth sailing for the second half.
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The Buckeyes did not go out quietly though. They managed to play a dominant second half, outscoring Duke 41-23 to close out the game. Some key players for Ohio State included Zed Key who led the team with 20 points. E.J. Liddell did the dirty work in the paint, racking up 14 rebounds.
The stout Ohio State defense held freshman-phenom Paolo Banchero to just four points in the second half. Prior to tonight, Banchero has averaged 18.3 points per game.
The final five minutes of this game were nerve-racking for Buckeye fans as they went into it down 65-57. Ohio State would dominate those final five by going on a 14-1 run and holding Duke to zero field goals.
Ohio State will take on Penn State Sunday, Dec. 5 in State College to close out this week. Duke will get a week-long break before facing South Carolina State on Tuesday, Dec. 14 at Cameron Indoor.
