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The Wednesday night slate of college hoops was a special one as there were numerous big matchups between top-25 teams, and the biggest game was arguably between #2 Auburn and #9 Duke. The Tigers and the Blue Devils have both looked like national title contenders early this season, and this matchup did not disappoint. The Auburn basketball team got off to a hot start in this one, but it was Duke that got the win.
Auburn came out of the gates on fire on Wednesday night as they took a big lead early, but Duke was able to steady the ship. It ended up being a close game throughout, and Auburn basketball head coach Bruce Pearl highlighted one area that cost his team the contest.
“Our defense let us down,” Bruce Pearl said after the game, according to a post from Nathan King. “You score 78 points against Duke, and you only turned it over eight times, in here, you should win.”
The Tigers got out to a 13-2 start in this one before the Duke basketball team started to find a groove. The Blue Devils slowly chipped away at the deficit in the first half, and they were able to completely erase it and take a seven-point lead into halftime.
Duke started the second half strong as they were able to grow their lead to 12, but the Auburn basketball team wasn't going away. The Tigers deserve credit for getting back into the game in a hostile road environment, but they were able to actually tie the game or take the lead. Auburn got it down to two a couple of times, but Duke always had an answer.
The Blue Devils ended up winning the game 84-78, and this is a huge win. Auburn is as legit as it gets, and Duke showed that they are as well.
Duke is now 6-2 on the young season and they will be back in action on Sunday against Louisville to begin ACC play. This was Auburn's first loss of the season as they are now 7-1, and they will look to bounce back on Sunday against Richmond.
