Duke Basketball: No. 1 Blue Devils beat No. 4 Virginia in an instant classic

It was an instant classic in Cameron Indoor Stadium as the Duke Basketball team took down the Virginia Cavaliers in a thriller.

The Duke Blue Devils bounced back from Monday’s loss in a major way on Saturday night defeating the No. 4 Virginia Cavaliers, 72-70.

The Blue Devils were without its starting point guard Tre Jones, went two-of-fourteen from 3-point range, and 18-of-31 from the free throw line and still managed to take down the perviously undefeated Virginia Cavaliers.

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Virginia was the only undefeated team entering tonights game after No. 2 Michigan lost to Wisconsin earlier this afternoon.

R.J. Barrett and Zion Williamson led the charge for the Blue Devils, as the duo combined for 57 of Duke’s 72 points.

Barrett scored 30 points, five rebounds, and three assist, while making 11-of-19 from the field, but he did struggle from 3-point range, making just one of his five attempts. The Canadian superstar was also seven of eleven from the free throw line.

Williamson added 27 points, nine rebounds, an assist, two steals, and a block to the winning cause for the Blue Devils. The Spartanburg, South Carolina native was a bully in the post, making ten of his sixteen attempts. Zion missed his only attempt from 3-point range and was only able to make seven of fourteen from the free throw line.

Pervious to tonight, the most points Virginia allowed to one player was 22 points to Wisconsin’s Ethan Happ back on November 23.

Cam Reddish also missed Monday’s game against Syracuse with an illness, but he was back for the Blue Devils tonight, scoring nine points, grabbing eight rebounds, with an assist, and two steals.

Reddish did struggle against the tenacious Virginia defense, only making three of twelve attempts from the field, and one of six from 3-point range.

Jack White and Marques Bolden were the only other players to score for Duke as White had four points and Bolden had two. Both players also were able to grab four rebounds in the victory.

Virginia was led by De’Andre Hunter‘s 18 points and 14 points from both Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome.

The Cavaliers struggled just as much as the Blue Devils did from 3-point range, making just three of seventeen attempts.

The win lifts Duke to 15-2 on the season and 4-1 in the ACC, while Virginia falls to 14-1 overall and 4-1 in the ACC.

The two teams will meet again during the regular season on February 9 in Charlottesville, Virginia at 6:00 pm ET.

As for now, Virginia will return home to face Wake Forest on Tuesday at 9:00 pm ET and the Blue Devils will hit the road once again and see a familiar face in Jeff Capel as Duke visits Pittsburgh on Tuesday night at 9:00 pm ET on ESPN.

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