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There will be a new No.1 team in college basketball, as the Duke Blue Devils fall to the Ohio State Buckeyes. The unranked Buckeyes (5-2) defeated the once undefeated Blue Devils, 71-66, in Columbus, Ohio. After blowing a 13-point lead entering the second half, a new team to beat will be announced in the next AP Top 25 rankings on Monday.
The Buckeyes bounces back after a crushing defeat at the buzzer to the Gators in the Fort Myers Tournament.
Final from OSU. Couldn't close it out. pic.twitter.com/OEEN9S3VRe
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) December 1, 2021
Short-lived for the Blue Devils
In head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final season, the Blue Devils (7-1) have faced their fair share of tough opponents in the early parts of the season. With impressive wins over top-ten teams like Kentucky and Gonzaga, Duke entered Tuesdays game with a target on their back.
Although trailing 43-30 in halftime, the Buckeyes outscored the top-ranked team in the nation by 18 points in the second half.
With 4:56 left in the game, a made free throw from Trevor Keels gave Duke a 66-59 lead. From there, the Buckeyes defense shutout the Duke’s offense as they end the game on a 12-0 run. Cedric Russel and E.J. Liddell combined to score the 10 points during the run.
Just like that, the Blue Devils reign as No.1 was no more, making room for Purdue Boilermakers to possibly take that spot.
https://twitter.com/DukeMBB/status/1465902219245412353?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
Boilermakers To The Top
Tuesday night of hoops went very well for the No. 2 ranked Purdue Boilermakers. Purdue gives Florida State their second loss of the year, 93-65, in a beatdown. Luckily, head coach Matt Painter and the Boilermakers (7-0) good fortune continued. Duke’s upset loss to Ohio State, opened the door for Purdue to become the top ranked team in the nation.
Purdue’s great start consisted of six times the team reached the 90-point mark. Also, blowout victories has become a theme for coach Painter’s program this season. Now, the soon to be top-ranked team in the country have five wins by 24 or more points.
However, one team does stand in the way for Purdue claiming the top spot in the AP Poll. In a Big Ten opener, Iowa travels to West Lafayette as Boilermakers host the Hawkeyes, Friday.
