Ohio State overcame a 15-point second-half deficit to defeat top-ranked Duke 71-66 in Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
E.J. Liddell hit two free throws with 1:03 left to put the Buckeyes (5-2) ahead 67-66 and knocked down a jumper to increase the lead to 69-66 with 15 ticks remaining.
After Paolo Banchero missed a long 3-pointer for Duke (7-1), Cedric Russell made two free throws with three seconds left to cap a game-ending 12-0 run.
Zed Key had a career-high 20 points for the Buckeyes, who trailed by 11 with under seven minutes left. Liddell registered 14 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and three blocks. Russell had 12 points.
Wendell Moore Jr. led the Blue Devils with 17 points, while Banchero added 14 for Duke, which shot 22.6 percent (7 of 31) in the second half.
The Blue Devils moved to the top spot in the rankings for the first time in two years this week after an 84-81 win vs. then-No. 1 Gonzaga in Las Vegas on Friday.
However, they met their match against a Buckeyes team that has won eight of the past 11 games when its opponent was ranked No. 1.
Ohio State started the game well, jumping out to a 13-7 lead before Duke found its footing and moved to a 25-17 advantage on a Banchero steal and layup with about eight minutes left.
The Buckeyes were down 29-25 when Banchero nailed a triple to start a 7-0 run that resulted in an 11-point lead with 3:43 remaining. A 3-pointer by Russell and a Key free throw made it 36-29, but the Blue Devils ran off seven in row again and went into the locker room ahead 43-30.
Ohio State trailed at the break because it couldn’t make free throws, hitting just 3 of 10. Nine first-half turnovers didn’t help matters either.
The Buckeyes evened the all-time series with Duke at 4-4.
–Field Level Media
