One last memory versus Duke basketball was established by Caleb Love.
The Blue Devils, rated second, and No. 12 In a game that saw ten lead changes and eleven ties, Arizona played a classic, but the Wildcats won 78-73 on Friday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium thanks to clutch plays in the closing minutes.
But the thing about this game is that it teaches you a lot about yourself while you play. After winning 17 consecutive home games, Duke coach Jon Scheyer, who suffered his first defeat at Cameron, called it a “great reality check.”
“We can still improve on a lot of things, even if we win this game. I will always detest losing, regardless of whether I’m teaching or competing. That’s who I am as a competitor, but I also acknowledge my gratitude for the chance. I believe it’s fantastic for our program to face a club like Arizona this early in the season.”
Keshad Johnson of Arizona converted a three-point play in the last minute to give the Wildcats a one-point advantage, and Love—a former Tar Heel—hit four free throws in the last 20 seconds to help the visitors win.
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Both times, Duke came back from an eight-point deficit but were unable to tie the score with former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski on the baseline in his second visit to Cameron since his retirement.
With 25 points and seven rebounds, sophomore sensation Kyle Filipowski led the Blue Devils to victory. Jeremy Roach, a senior guard, scored 17 points. At Cameron, Duke hasn’t defeated a top-15 nonconference foe since 2010.
In the Duke basketball game, what did Caleb Love do?
After scoring 20 points in back-to-back games at North Carolina to start his career, Caleb Love returned to Cameron Indoor Stadium with 11 points, three rebounds, and six turnovers.
At the conclusion of the first half, the former Tar Heel made a 3-pointer to give Arizona a 41-33 lead. In the last 17.4 seconds, he made four free throws to help the Wildcats win. Since Mike Krzyzewski’s last regular-season game against Love and North Carolina in 2022, Duke has not lost at Cameron.
How the Blue Devils and Kyle Filipowski handled Arizona’s aggression
Despite Filipowski’s 11 points and four rebounds in the first half, the Blue Devils were unable to establish a consistent offensive rhythm as a team. Arizona was all over the paint, but Duke’s offense often got going far beyond the 3-point line.
In the first half, the Devils made only five of their nine layup attempts when they did manage to get to the hoop. Although Filipowski scored 10 points in the opening five minutes of the second half, Scheyer wasn’t always happy with Duke’s offensive output. Duke shot 43% and the Blue Devils’ bench was outscored 16–5.
“I felt throughout the first half of the game they were more active. We weren’t at our very best. We’re right there at the conclusion of the game despite that,” Scheyer said.
The most important issue, in my opinion, is that we didn’t play together. It’s difficult for me to accept that. It is unacceptable to us. Our game was not Duke basketball. For that, I accept full responsibility. We give away the ball on far too many plays when we only have one or zero pass possessions.
Arizona basketball outrebounds Duke basketball in rebounds
Both teams shot a combined 42.5% from the field in the first half, which was dismal shooting, but Arizona was unrelenting on the boards, holding a 29–15 rebounding lead. Prior to Duke grabbing its first offensive rebound, the Wildcats had 10 second-chance points and 11 offensive rebounds. With 13 points and five rebounds, Oumar Ballo led the way as one of five Wildcats in double digits. Arizona had 13 second-chance points and a plus-12 rebounding margin.
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