In a thrilling matchup, Clemson pulled off a major upset by defeating No. 2 Duke 77-71 on Saturday night. Viktor Lakhin led the charge for the Tigers with 22 points, while Chase Hunter and Ian Schieffelin contributed 14 and 12 points, respectively.
The victory not only ended Duke's impressive 16-game winning streak but also dashed their hopes of an unbeaten regular season in the ACC. The Blue Devils, now 20-3 overall and 12-1 in the conference, missed out on the opportunity to claim the top spot in the country for the first time under coach Jon Scheyer.
Despite a strong performance from Tyrese Proctor (23 points), Duke struggled to contain Clemson's defense and limit Cooper Flagg, who finished with 18 points on 6-of-17 shooting.
Trailing by six at halftime, Clemson staged a remarkable comeback in the second half, highlighted by a crucial 12-0 run that propelled them to a 56-49 lead with under 10 minutes remaining.
The game's key moment came when Flagg slipped with 14 seconds left, resulting in a critical turnover that ultimately sealed the Tigers' victory.
Notably, Clemson overcame its free-throw shooting woes, making just 13 of 22 attempts, to secure the win.
Takeaways
Duke: The absence of Mason Gillis due to illness impacted Duke's depth, while Flagg struggled to find his rhythm for most of the game.
Clemson: The Tigers displayed resilience by bouncing back from a tough triple-overtime loss to Georgia Tech earlier in the week. Their victory over a top-ranked opponent like Duke further solidified their competitive prowess.
Upcoming Games
Duke will look to regroup as they host California on Wednesday night, while Clemson aims to continue their winning streak against North Carolina on Monday night.
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