COLUMBUS, Ohio — Zed Key scored a career-high 20 points and Ohio State held top-ranked Duke scoreless for the final 4 1/2 minutes, completing a rally from a 15-point second-half deficit to beat the Blue Devils 71-66 on Tuesday night.
E.J. Liddell hit two free throws with 1:06 remaining to give the Buckeyes (5-2) their first lead since early in the first half, and his jumper made it 69-66 with 16 seconds left. Duke freshman star Paolo Banchero missed a tying 3-pointer, and Cedric Russell got the rebound and closed it out at the free-throw line. Ohio State fans stormed the court as time expired.
The Blue Devils (7-1) claimed the top spot in this week’s AP Top 25 poll — a stay that could be brief — after beating then-No. 1 Gonzaga in Las Vegas. Ohio State improved to 2-1 against ranked foes this year with its fourth straight game decided in the final minutes.
Liddell finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds for Ohio State, which beat the No. 1 team in the country for the second straight time on its home court. The Buckeyes knocked off Michigan State 80-64 on Jan. 7, 2018.
E.J. Liddell and Ohio State was too much for Duke on Tuesday.Getty ImagesWendell Moore Jr. led the Blue Devils with 17 points and Banchero finished with 14.
Duke led by 13 points at halftime and extended that advantage to 49-34 early in the second half. Moore’s layup with 5:19 remaining made it 65-57, and Trevor Keels made a free throw with 4:29 left.
The Blue Devils didn’t score again, missing their last six shots as Ohio State closed the game with a 12-0 run. Duke endured a 1-for-14 stretch earlier in the half, allowing the Buckeyes to draw closer.
Ohio State took an early 13-7 lead but Duke responded with a 13-2 run. The Blue Devils shot 52.9 percent in the first half.
