Kentucky falls 79-71 to Duke in Champions Classic

Cramps could not keep Duke from running away with a win. Mike Krzyzewski’s final season opened with a 79-71 victory over Kentucky in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden.

Trevor Keels and Paulo Banchero were sent to the Duke bench at the start of the second half, but it did not slow down the Blue Devils. While their stars spent time on the sideline, an 18-4 Duke run put the game out of reach. The Wildcats responded thanks in large part to Oscar Tshiebwe‘s heroics, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit.

Tshiebwe was a rebounding animal. He recorded 19 rebounds, 12 on the offensive end, in addition to his 17 points. After sitting with foul trouble, the Big O returned and quickly turned a 15-point deficit to just four with six minutes to play. The Wildcats never got any closer.

Kentucky had no answer for Keels near the rim. The true freshman small forward led all scorers with 25 points. Banchero added in a casual 22 points, proving why he’s a future top five NBA Draft pick.

In addition to Tshiebwe, Sahvir Wheeler also recorded a double-double. The point guard had 16 points and 10 assists in a losing effort. Kentucky shot just 37.7% from the field, while Duke made 50.8% of its field goal attempts. The Wildcats will try to get their first win of the season against Robert Morris Friday night at Rupp Arena.