No. 4 Duke fends off No. 15 Florida 67-66 in ACC-SEC Challenge
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- No. 4 Duke survived its toughest test yet, hanging on to beat No. 15 Florida 67-66 on Tuesday night in the ACC-SEC Challenge.
The Blue Devils (8-1) led 36-24 at halftime, but the Gators (6-2) wouldn't go away, taking a 66-64 lead on a Boogie Fland 3-pointer with 34.6 seconds left.
But Isaiah Evans answered with a clutch 3-pointer to give Duke a 67-66 lead with 19.7 seconds left.
The slim Duke sophomore was sitting at 0 for 7 from behind the arc when Fland hit the late 3 on a night the reigning national champions had trailed by 15. But Evans calmly sank the shot that helped Duke (9-0) stay unbeaten in a thrilling finish.
The Gators had the ball with the shot clock off, but turned it over and were forced to foul.
Caleb Foster went to the free-throw line with 1.5 seconds left but missed the front end of a 1-and-1. Florida had a final desperation possession down one with 1.4 seconds left, but Maliq Brown tipped Thomas Haugh's heave at the inbounds point to run the final time off and send Cameron Indoor Stadium into an ear-ringing frenzy.
Star freshman Cameron Boozer scored 29 points for the Blue Devils. Evans had 13 points and a career-high five of Duke's 11 blocks.
Haugh scored 24 points for the Gators, who trailed 36-24 at the break but absolutely worked Duke on the glass in the second half to climb back in it. Florida finished with a 44-33 rebounding advantage, including 20-11 on the offensive glass for the game, while finishing with 13 second-chance points after halftime.
This marked the first time the Blue Devils had hosted a reigning national champion in nonconference play at Cameron Indoor Stadium since beating UCLA in February 1996, and this one came with the unusual sight of Duke wearing black uniforms at home tied to a fan blackout.
The road stays tough for Duke as the Blue Devils visit No. 7 Michigan State on Saturday.
The Associated Press contributed.
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