Gonzaga surprises the Duke at Maui's invitation

LAHAINA, Hawaii – In the final seconds of Gonzaga's victory over No. 1 Duke in the Maui Invitational Championship, the Blue Devils' freshman, R.J. Barrett decided to put the game in his hands. As he headed for the middle of the field and was looking for a shot, the Bulldogs' junior, Rui Hachimura, who scored the highest game in the world, 20 points and seven rebounds in Gonzaga's thrilling victory in 89- 87, smiled at him.

Then he blocked Barrett's shot, a rhythmic game for a Gonzaga team relying on his experience in the most intense match of the college basketball season.

"I think he's lit up and that he was trying to play one against one against me, and I thought 'OK, let's do it,'" said Hachimura after the match. "We are the best team in the country and I am also the best player and I have to keep it."

Gonzaga, who was just 12 seconds behind Wednesday, had a 16-point lead in the second half before Duke made a fantastic run to make it a one-shot game in the final seconds. However, Gonzaga competed to the end and won the match without stain, Killian Tillie, who was injured in the ankle.

When Duke's coach, Mike Krzyzewski, came to Maui for this week's tournament, he had the most towering talent collection in America. Dozens of leaders and scouts of the NBA have taken the six-hour flight from the mainland to see Zion Williamson, Barrett and Cam Reddish – perhaps the first three picks of the NBA project next summer – and the other perspectives on the ground.

A pair of top-10 victories, including a 34-point loss to Kentucky in the Champions Classic and a six-point win against Auburn in the Maui Invite semi-final on Tuesday, set the Blue Devils as the most competitive team. dangerous of the United States. Analysts have chosen the Blue Devils at the expense of Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA in a hypothetical confrontation. An undefeated race, like that of Kentucky, which had won its first 38 games in 2014-15, seemed feasible.

Although Krzyzewski raised the most talent in Maui, he could not give his young program an instant experience. "I thought we looked young," Krzyzewski said after the defeat. "It's not that we were tired because we both played the same number of games, but I think they were more ready to play than us, and that's something that you are learning. "

Gonzaga recorded nearly 70% of his shots during most of the first half before making six of his first seven shots after the break. But the Bulldogs finished 8-2 for the remainder of the course and missed seven of their 17 free-throw attempts in the second half, opening the door to Duke's run.

Even though their lead has disappeared and their shots (and free throws) have stopped falling in a wild atmosphere, the Bulldogs have not panicked. Instead, they relied on their defense. According to the ESPN and Info statistics, Williamson and Barrett were able to shoot only 14 out of 33 (42.4%) of the painting on Wednesday, down from the 64.3% clip they produced in the painting. in the first five games.

Duke seemed stunned by the moment. The Bulldogs seemed to feed it.

Josh Perkins, who has won 103 games with the Bulldogs, finished with seven assists and two turnovers. Brandon Clarke, a transfer from San Jose State, struggled with his time on the ground, but 17 points and decisive defensive play (six blocks) helped the Bulldogs seal the win and propel themselves to the front row. in the main polls next week.