The Kansas Jayhawks suffered an 90-84 loss to the Duke Blue Devils on Sunday afternoon at Allen Fieldhouse in their third exhibition matchup before the regular season begins. Despite a strong performance from freshman Tyran Stokes, Kansas could not hold off Duke’s second-half surge in a matchup between two of college basketball’s premier programs.
Kansas entered halftime with a 45-43 advantage after battling back from an early deficit. Stokes led the Jayhawks with 15 points on 4-of-9 shooting in the opening half, providing an offensive spark as Kansas worked to establish its rhythm against Duke’s defense.
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On the other side, Patrick Ngongba II led the Blue Devils with 16 first-half points on 5-of-8 shooting. Duke shot 41% from the field and 40% from three-point range before the break, keeping the game close despite Kansas carrying a narrow lead into the locker room.
The second half featured several momentum swings, with both teams trading baskets as Kansas attempted to protect its advantage. However, Duke eventually found the separation it needed, using a pair of significant scoring runs to take control late in the contest.
According to the Kansas game recap from KU Sports, Duke’s late offensive push proved decisive as Kansas struggled to find consistent scoring during the closing minutes.
Stokes finished with a team-high 27 points on 7-of-17 shooting from the field while going 11-of-15 at the free-throw line. The freshman also demonstrated his ability to carry a significant offensive workload against an elite opponent, giving Kansas an encouraging performance to build on heading into the regular season.
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Ngongba was the difference-maker for Duke, finishing with a game-high 28 points on 9-of-12 shooting and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line. His efficiency around the basket and ability to draw fouls helped the Blue Devils maintain their offensive pressure throughout the second half.
Kansas finished shooting approximately 44% from the field, while Duke connected on 45% of its attempts. The Jayhawks committed eight turnovers compared with Duke’s 14, but the Blue Devils controlled the rebounding battle and capitalized on second-chance opportunities.
The official Duke recap highlighted Ngongba’s dominant performance and Duke’s ability to finish strong on the road.
Although the result was disappointing for Kansas, the exhibition provided valuable experience against a nationally ranked opponent. Head coach Bill Self will have one final opportunity to evaluate his roster, improve defensive execution and build chemistry before the games begin counting.
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Kansas will now turn its attention to its regular-season opener against Fordham on Nov. 2. The Jayhawks will look to carry Stokes’ impressive performance into the season while addressing the late-game struggles that contributed to Sunday’s defeat. Jayhawks Roundtable
