In a game that saw 16 lead changes and marked perhaps the best college basketball game of the season thus far, the Duke Blue Devils finally overcame the Kansas Jayhawks in a thrilling finale to the EA Sports Maui Invitational in Hawaii. However, it was the heroism of unlikely Tyler Thornton who had two three-pointers in the final minutes when only averaging less than two points per game before tonight that did the Jayhawks in after they'd stayed competitive despite Tyshawn Taylor's performance.
Taylor, the leading scorer for the Jayhawks coming into the game (and even in this game) had an unbelievable 11 turnovers tonight against Duke. He averages 1.8 per game this season, and he often played out of control down the stretch. Whether it was nerves or a felt need to take over the game, something was clearly off in Taylor's tempo and ball control.
Thomas Robinson had 16 points and 15 rebounds in a strong showing of his NBA potential and the player that KU needed him to be. Unfortunately the turnovers of Taylor proved to be too much to overcome down the stretch. Taylor had a solid offensive showing, leading Kansas with 17 points and four assists.
Jeff Withey had his first ever double-double for Kansas with 14 points and 10 rebounds. The junior center has had a strong year and should be an asset with his size and skill set. Elijah Johnson added 10 points and Travis Releford had 4.
For Duke, the spread scoring the Blue Devils had coming into the game continued against KU. Ryan Kelly had 17 and Mason Plumlee had 17 as well. Austin Rivers added 10.
For more on this game, Kansas basketball fans should check out Rock Chalk Talk.