Duke Basketball lost their first game in school history in the Maui Invitational and it came in an 89-87 loss to the Gonzaga Bulldogs.
The Duke Blue Devils couldn’t get a basket in the end as the Gonzaga Bulldogs missed four straight free throws to leave the game wide open. The Blue Devils were unable to score as time expired, missing their final eight shots from the field to fall in the finals of the Maui Invitational, 89-87.
Now, they’re 17-1 in the Maui Invitational, and they’re not bad considering they’ve faced three Top 10 opponents in the last month. Gonzaga proved to be a perfect match for the Blue Devils and they prevailed after leading by as many as 15 points. The Bulldogs finished the game with 10 blocks as a team, stifling the high-powered Duke trio of R.J. Barrett, Zion Williamson and Cam Reddish on offense.
The Bulldogs held the trio to a combined 55 points in the game and it was enough to get a victory. For Duke, it allows them to humble themselves amidst so many comparisons to some of the best college basketball teams to play the game.
Experience prevailed in the end as forward Rui Hachimura finished the game with 20 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three blocks for Gonzaga. Barrett finished with a game-high 23 points, but it came on 25 total shots.
Things should be fine going forward as the Blue Devils are still 5-1 on the young season. With the ACC/Big Ten Challenge approaching on Nov. 27 against the Indiana Hoosiers, here’s a look at three takeaways from their loss to the Bulldogs.