No. 1 Kansas Fends Off No. 11 Duke in Dramatic Blue-Blood Thriller

On Tuesday night, the Jayhawks prevailed over the Blue Devils.

Nov 26, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Kansas Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga (40) catches a loose ball against Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg (2) during the first half at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

LAS VEGAS — The top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks survived a nail-biting finish to secure a 75-72 victory over No. 11 Duke on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena. The game featured everything from an early Jayhawks surge to a controversial ejection and a frantic final sequence.

Kansas started strong, racing to a 16-3 lead in the opening minutes. However, the Blue Devils clawed their way back into the contest, tightening the deficit by halftime to 41-39. Duke’s resilience set the stage for a back-and-forth battle in the second half.

Drama struck at the 10:00 mark when Kansas center Hunter Dickinson was ejected for a flagrant 2 foul following a physical altercation with Duke forward Maliq Brown. Dickinson appeared to kick Brown while the two scrambled for a rebound, a move officials deemed intentional.

His absence forced Kansas to rely heavily on its backcourt and depth for the remainder of the game.

With under 10 seconds left, Duke’s Kon Knueppel drove into the lane with his team trailing 73-72 but missed a contested layup. Kansas guard Rylan Griffen secured the rebound, was fouled, and sank two clutch free throws to extend the lead to three.

After a timeout, Duke advanced the ball to half-court and got one last chance. Knueppel’s desperation three-pointer to tie the game rimmed out as time expired.

Dajuan Harris Jr. led Kansas with 14 points on 6-for-10 shooting, while Zeke Mayo added 12.

“Well, we played tough, and Flory [Bidunga] was great when he came in late,” Kansas head coach Bill Self said. “Our guards made plays all night. [...] We’re a work in progress, though—we’ve got a ways to go.”

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