Dec. 1 (UPI) -- Sophomore forward Zed Key scored a game-high 20 points to lead Ohio State to a 71-66 upset victory over Duke, the No. 1 team in the college basketball Coaches Poll, just days after the Blue Devils knocked off Gonzaga.
The Buckeyes overcame a 15-point, second-half deficit in the win Tuesday at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio. They shot 48.1% from the floor and 40% from 3-point range. The Blue Devils shot 38.5% and 28.6% from 3-point range.
"We just had good stops on defense," Key told reporters. "They were getting a lot of transition points, so we had to tighten up our defense.
"We did that and got the win. We pulled it out."
The Buckeyes built a 13-7 lead about seven minutes into the game. The Blue Devils responded with a 13-2 run and led 43-30 at the end of the first half. Wendell Moore Jr. added a jump shot 19 seconds into the second half to push the advantage to 15 points.
The Buckeyes answered with an 8-2 run. They ended the game on a 12-0 run, holding the Blue Devils scoreless over the final 4:29.
"We didn't finish," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski told reporters. "I think when guys took it to the basket hard, it's not like they took a bunch of bad shots. Like Wendell [Moore Jr.] said, you still have to make shots.
"If you make one of those, it gives you some 'oomph.' It just wore on us. Again, they played good defense too, so just a combination of that. I trust my guys, I trust them to make plays and we weren't able to make shots tonight during that time. Again, their defense had a lot to do with it, but we still have to make some shots. I'm not blaming my team at all -- I'm proud of my team."
Moore led the Blue Devils with 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Duke freshman forward Paolo Banchero totaled 14 points and five rebounds.
Buckeyes junior forward E.J. Liddell logged 14 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and three blocks in the victory. Senior guard Cedric Russell Chipped in 12 points off the Buckeyes bench.
The Buckeyes (5-2) battle Penn State at 7:30 p.m. EST Sunday at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pa. The Blue Devils (7-1) host South Carolina at 8 p.m. EST Tuesday at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C.
