Kentucky Pulls Away From Duke In Champions Classic

Kentucky defeats Duke 79-71 in the Champions Classic

Kentucky used a second-half surge to pull away from Duke in the Champions Classic on Tuesday night.

The Wildcats, who trailed by five points at halftime, opened the second half on an 11-0 run to take a 46-38 lead. Duke never got closer than four points the rest of the way.

Kentucky was led by Oscar Tshiebwe, who had 22 points and 18 rebounds. Antonio Reeves added 16 points, and Cason Wallace had 15.

Duke was led by Dariq Whitehead, who had 21 points. Jeremy Roach added 15 points, and Kyle Filipowski had 14.

The Wildcats improved to 2-0 on the season, while Duke fell to 1-1.

Kentucky's defense was the difference in the game

Kentucky's defense held Duke to just 38.2% shooting from the field, including 28.6% from three-point range. The Wildcats also forced 15 Duke turnovers.

Duke coach Jon Scheyer said Kentucky's defense was the difference in the game.

"They're a great defensive team," Scheyer said. "They're long and athletic, and they make it tough to score."

Kentucky's offense came alive in the second half

Kentucky's offense struggled in the first half, shooting just 38.7% from the field. But the Wildcats came out firing in the second half, shooting 52.6% from the field.

Kentucky coach John Calipari said he was pleased with his team's offensive performance in the second half.

"We started making shots in the second half," Calipari said. "We got the ball inside to Oscar, and he was able to finish. We also hit some big shots from the outside."

What's next for Kentucky and Duke?

Kentucky will host South Carolina State on Friday night. Duke will host Jacksonville on Friday night.