Crashing the boards and nailing the threes, the Duke Blue Devils snatched the victory over the Kansas Jayhawks in a volcanic eruption. What would be the Devils fifth Maui Invitational Championship in five trips, would also be one of the Blue Devils most rousing games in recent years.
It doesn’t take a championship game, or a legendary rivalry to necessarily create an exciting battle. Two of the top five programs of all time met on a neutral court, and dueled a duel only two giants could. Punctuated by slashing drives by Thomas Robinson, a slamajamma by Miles Plumlee, and devastating 3’s by The Jayhawk Killer, Tyler Thornton; it was a game that had my living room rocking. It does not matter if it is the February Rivalry, Mad March, or still the early month of November- Blue Devils do not surrender a game. Duke hates to lose more than it loves to win, and the Devils had no intentions of going down to Kansas on one of their undefeated courts.
Judging by fate, it seemed at times the game was going to get away from the Devils. It was not necessarily bad anything; shots simply were rolling and rimming out by the slightest of margins. Missed shots are one matter, but baskets rolling out in absurd fashion is another. This was a time in which a team must take their game into overdrive, and Duke did exactly that.
Who would ever have thought, our saving grace would be Mason Plumlee at the free throw line? MP2 came through in the clutch, knocking down 5 of 7 free throws in the second half. Then, rising from the depths in the waning moments, enter Tyler Thornton. Thornton spears the Jayhawks with an bomb from three point land with only 1:14 to go! Duke leads it! Moments later, as Duke was ahead with 0:24 remaining, Kansas threatened to climb back in it as Seth was cornered with two seconds on the shot clock- up by 2. But as Destiny would have it, the Jayhawk Killer rose to the occasion to NAIL an outrageous three to ice the game- Duke wins it!
An amazing game- one which Dukies ought to be very proud to have won. Our young team with new leadership hung in when the going got tough, and proved they have the stamina to win a game in tight situations. The Blue Devils through this point in the season have beaten two ranked opponents, feisty Michigan and Tennessee teams, while UNC continues to play cupcakes. Which made this holiday weekend all the sweeter, when Roy’s Boys were upset in tremendous fashion by UNLV. Duke is up, North Carolina is down, and just this weekend I had the pleasure of personally meeting Mason Plumlee and Seth Curry.
Both gentlemen I had the pleasure to shake hands and speak with, outside Cameron during a visit this past Saturday. I assured both Devils all Dukies are behind them as they face Tubbs & the Ohio State Buckeyes this Tuesday night. Everything in the universe is clicking right now, and it is great to be a Devil!
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