Duke Basketball Center Has Big Day in Exhibition Finale

The next time we see the Duke Blue Devils’ basketball program on the court, it will be for the regular-season opener on November 2nd. And if the three exhibition games are any sign of what to expect, we have a fun season in store.

Duke closed out their exhibition schedule on Sunday, taking a trip to Lawrence to face off against the Kansas Jayhawks. It was a showdown between two Blue Blood programs, allowing fans to see a premier matchup. Although it was an exhibition, it was a battle that went down to the end before Duke pulled out a 90-94 win over the Jayhawks.

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The Blue Devils were led by big man Patrick Ngongba II who had a game-high 28 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, dished out 4 assists and had 2 blocks. In a game filled with premier talent all over the court, Ngongba stood out and made his presence felt from the start on Sunday afternoon.

He’s the latest Blue Devil to standout in the three exhibition games as Duke had three players really look impressive in each game, taking turns sharing the spotlight.

The two teams battled in the first half and Kansas even grabbed a 45-43 lead at the halftime break. It was Duke’s first true test this preseason as they rolled past Belmont and Tennessee, dominating all four halves they played before this one.

While Duke trailed at halftime, it was the second half where they took control. They outscored the Jayhawks 47-39 in the final 20 minutes and pressured Kansas into some tough mistakes. Kansas really struggled down the stretch while the Blue Devils were sharp and were able to close out the game making baskets and getting stops on the defensive end.

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Guard John Blackwell had 23 points, making 6 of 12 shot attempts including 4 of 7 from the three-point line. Blackwell joined the Blue Devils this offseason through the transfer portal and is considered one of the top pickups in all of college basketball.

Fellow guard Dame Sarr had 12 points but most of that was from the free-throw line. He went 8 of 11 from the charity…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/duke-basketball-center-big-day-235928789.html

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Publish date : 2026-10-25 23:59:00

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