Duke Falls to Michigan State 79-73

Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer expressed disappointment after his team’s 79-73 loss to Michigan State, stating “Our fans deserve better.” The No. 2-ranked Blue Devils never led from start to finish in the game at the Champions Classic in Chicago’s United Center.

Scheyer attributed the loss to his team’s lack of connection, saying “We weren’t connected, and we’re going to fix it; I can promise you that much…” He gave credit to Michigan State, noting they outcompeted and played more together.

The Blue Devils shot only 33.3 percent from the field, 24.1 percent from three, and 70.3 percent at the line against the Spartans. Scheyer acknowledged the upcoming schedule will be challenging, with matchups against the No. 1 Florida Gators, No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini, and No. 4 UConn Huskies.

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo was surprised by Duke’s performance, saying “I think they’re a really, really good [Duke] team…I’m not betting against them to do some damage this year.” Only two Blue Devils reached double-digit points, with senior guard John Blackwell scoring 17 and junior center Patrick Ngongba II scoring 11.

Duke will host the unranked SIU Edwardsville Cougars in Cameron Indoor Stadium at 8 p.m. ET Friday. The team will look to improve upon their performance and address the issues that led to the loss.

Tuesday night marked the first time in 954 days that Duke basketball wasn’t at least within one possession of taking the lead in the final minute of a game. Tom Izzo noted that even the top performers, such as Blackwell and Ngongba II, shot only a combined 8-for-23 from the field, 4-for-14 from downtown, and 8-for-15 at the line.