LAS VEGAS — Dajuan Harris scored 14 points and top-ranked Kansas withstood the ejection of star center Hunter Dickinson to beat No. 11 Duke 75-72 in the Vegas Showdown on Tuesday night.
Dickinson, who entered the game averaging 17.8 points and 10.4 rebounds, received a fragrant-2 foul and was ejected for kicking the Blue Devils’ Maliq Brown in the head midway through the second half.
Highly touted Duke freshman Cooper Flagg took advantage of Dickinson’s absence, and the Blue Devils kept it close all the way to the buzzer.
Zeke Mayo added 12 points for Kansas (6-0), and Dickinson and AJ Storr each scored 11.
Tyrese Proctor led Duke (4-2) with 15 points, Flagg scored 13, Kon Knueppel had 11 and Sion James finished with 10.
Mayo put Kansas ahead for good when he made a jumper with 1:57 left for a 73-71 lead. Flagg hit a free throw for Duke and Rylan Griffen answered with two foul shots with 2 seconds left.
Kansas has won four of the past five meetings with the Blue Devils and six of eight. Nine of the past 10 meetings have been decided by single digits.
Takeaways
Kansas: Overcoming the loss of Dickinson could serve the Jayhawks well later in the season.
Duke: Flagg had six points when Dickinson went out, but then on four trips to the lane had two dunks, a layup and a free throw.
Key moment
Knueppel had a 3-point try rim out at the buzzer that would have forced overtime.
Key stat
Duke shot 50% from the field and 42.3% from 3-point range. Kansas shot 49.1% overall and 47.1% from 3.
Up next
Kansas hosts Furman on Saturday. Duke is home against Seattle on Friday.
