Duke Falls to Kentucky, 77-72

Blue Devils Lose Second Straight Game

Duke's struggles continued on Saturday as they fell to Kentucky 77-72 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils have now lost two straight games after starting the season 10-1.

Kentucky was led by Oscar Tshiebwe, who had 24 points and 19 rebounds. Antonio Reeves added 19 points for the Wildcats. Duke was led by Jeremy Roach, who had 18 points and 5 assists. Freshman Dariq Whitehead added 17 points for the Blue Devils.

Duke started the game slowly and fell behind 10-0. The Blue Devils didn't hit their first field goal until the 15:36 mark of the first half. Kentucky led by as many as 15 points in the first half and took a 39-26 lead into halftime.

Duke came out with more energy in the second half and cut the lead to 45-40 with 16:32 remaining. However, Kentucky answered back with a 7-0 run to push their lead back to 12 points. Duke never got closer than six points the rest of the way.

The loss is a setback for Duke, who were hoping to make a run in the ACC this season. The Blue Devils will now have to regroup and try to get back on track when they host Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

What went wrong for Duke?

• Slow start: Duke started the game slowly and fell behind 10-0. The Blue Devils didn't hit their first field goal until the 15:36 mark of the first half.
• Poor shooting: Duke shot just 38.5% from the field and 28.6% from three-point range. The Blue Devils were also outrebounded by Kentucky 52-33.
• Lack of energy: Duke didn't play with the same energy and intensity that they have shown in previous games. The Blue Devils were often out-hustled and out-rebounded by Kentucky.

What's next for Duke?

Duke will now have to regroup and try to get back on track when they host Pittsburgh on Tuesday. The Blue Devils will need to improve their shooting and play with more energy and intensity if they want to win.