A Duke basketball star seemed to take pleasure in watching the top team in the country lose.
It often slips the minds of college basketball fans everywhere that it is very difficult to win a game on the road, especially when you are the No. 1 team in the country. The Duke basketball team witnessed that firsthand on November 30 against Ohio State.
No. 1 Duke, fresh off a win over then-No. 1 Gonzaga, squandered a big second half lead against the unranked Buckeyes in a raucous atmosphere.
The Blue Devil loss meant a new team would hold the No. 1 ranking in the Associated Press Top-25 Poll for the third consecutive week, and that team was Purdue.
The Boilermakers were voted as the No. 1 team in the nation for the first time in program history, and it did not take long for the team to cough up its top ranking.
ALSO READ: Duke continues to prove it is the most advanced program
In its first game with the No. 1 next to its name, Purdue hit the road to face struggling Rutgers, and the game would deliver one of the best finishes the sport will see all season long.
After Trevion Williams gave Purdue a one-point lead with 3.4 seconds left, Scarlet Knights forward Ron Harper Jr. sent the Jersey Mikes Arena into a frenzy with a half-court buzzer-beater to win the game.
https://twitter.com/CBBonFOX/status/1469129611409866757?s=20
Purdue will play one last game with the No. 1 ranking this week as the Boilermakers will remain in the Northeast to play the North Carolina State Wolfpack on Sunday afternoon in the Barclays Center.
Duke basketball forward reacts to Purdue loss
Moments after Harper Jr.’s shot went in the basket, Duke freshman forward Paolo Banchero fired off this tweet:
https://twitter.com/Pp_doesit/status/1469129620675076100?s=20
Purdue fans were chanting “We want Duke” following its victory over Florida State, moments before Duke took the floor against Ohio State.
ALSO READ: Could Duke keep freshman for another year?
The road to New Orleans is a marathon, not a sprint, and there will surely be more losses in the future for both the Blue Devils and Boilermakers this regular season.
Duke returns to the court after a two-week hiatus on December 14 against South Carolina State.