Everything you need to know about the Duke vs. Utah online live stream and TV broadcast, as well as game notes and prediction.
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“Really proud of our guys…it’s pretty darn special right now”, Utah head coach Larry Krystkowiak told ESPN after the game.
They also almost gave the victory away.
Duke guard Luke Kennard made things interesting with under 10 seconds left in overtime, hitting a big three-pointer over Lorenzo Bonam, who also fouled him on the play.
Utah led 73-67 after Jordan Loveridge made four free throws in a 10-second span. But Kennard brought Duke back, scoring eight points in 16 seconds to cut Utah’s lead to 77-75.
The ball went to Brandon Ingram on the inbounds and he drove to the basket and tried a finger roll. Still, he played big minutes and had just one turnover. Poeltl, who spent much of the game in foul trouble and fouled out in overtime, had 19 points and 14 rebounds, a career high.
“It was a very, very emotional win, a great win”, Poeltl said.
This time around, the ending was more sour than sweet for Duke. An Achilles heel to the Utes in the past, they knocked down a respectable 18-of-23 from the charity stripe in a game in which they needed every point they could get.
Then, it was the Poeltl show.
Duke (9-2) struggled overall as a team, shooting 29 percent (23-for-77) from the field and 28 percent (8-for-28) from 3-point range. The Utes had 11 layups or dunks in the first half and shot 14 for 27 from the field. Two minutes later, Marshall Plumlee – Duke’s tallest player – picked up his second foul, and it was small ball the remainder of the half. Late in the second half, Duke had three consecutive possessions end with blocked shots before Ingram’s 3-point attempt rimmed out, allowing the Utes to have the last shot in regulation. Duke’s leading scorer on the season, sophomore guard Grayson Allen was held to only seven points, though he was slowed by flu-like symptoms.
The Blue Devils will be without one of their stalwart frontcourt players in Amile Jefferson for this game.
Jakob Poeltl started strong and finished strong for the Utes, with two key blocks down the stretch in the second half.
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Duke forward Chase Jeter (2) tries to draw a foul on Utah forward Kyle Kuzma (35) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015, in NY.
