Duke Blue Devils vs Florida Gators Match Player Stats On Nov 26, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Nov 27, 2017

PORTLAND, Ore. -- After being tested in the first two games of the Phil Knight 80 Invitational, there was no reason to think Duke was going to cruise in the championship game of the Motion Bracket.

The Blue Devils put away pesky Portland State and Texas on the first two days, only to set up a meeting with No. 7 Florida.

Buoyed by a late run, the Blue Devils stormed back from a 17-point deficit in the second half to defeat the Gators 87-84 on Sunday night.

Tournament MVP Marvin Bagley III finished with his third straight double-double, collecting 30 points and 15 rebounds to lead Duke (8-0).

Blue Devils guard Grayson Allen finished with 14 points, including a huge 3-pointer late. Gary Trent Jr. finished with 15 points, including a 4-for-4 showing from the free-throw line in the final minute. Trevon Duval added 11 points and six assists.

Jalen Hudson finished with team highs of 24 points and 10 rebounds to lead Florida (5-1). Chris Chiozza was special all-around, controlling the game with 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

KeVaughn Allen had 15 of his 17 points in the first half for the Gators, while Egor Koulechov added 15 points and six rebounds.

Trailing by 10 with 4:35 to play, Duke went on a 13-2 run to take an 85-84 lead with a minute to play. Bagley was sensational in the run, scoring six points and grabbing three rebounds.

After Florida missed at the other end, Duke was called for a shot-clock violation when Allen's 3-point attempt didn't get off in time, giving the Gators 23.7 seconds to win it.

However, Trent stole the ball for Duke and hit two free throws with 8.9 seconds left, extending the lead to three and giving the Gators one more chance. Koulechov missed a shot at the end.

Florida was in complete command as it used an 13-0 run midway early in the second half for a commanding 74-57 lead before Duke's comeback started.

The Gators came out on fire, knocking down five 3-pointers en route to a 24-10 with 12:42 left. Allen couldn't miss from deep as the Gators played inside-out basketball. Chiozza often got it started with a drive and would then kick to Allen or he would drop it to a post player, who would then pass out of the double team.

With the lead continuing to swell, Trent and Allen took over with Duke trailing by 10. The Blue Devils went on a 22-5 run over a four-minute stretch to regain the lead. Trent and Allen combined to score 17 of the 22 points with five 3-pointers.

After Duke had its largest lead of the half at 46-39, a late 14-3 Florida run gave the Gators a 53-49 advantage at the break.

NOTES: Nike founder Phil Knight -- for whom the tourney is named -- sat courtside ... Knight was joined courtside by Oregon football head coach Willie Taggart, fresh off the Ducks' 69-10 Civil War win over Oregon State on Saturday. ... Duke F Marvin Bagley III is widely considered the top NBA Draft prospect for the upcoming draft. Bagley, who averaged 27.3 points and 15 rebounds in the tournament, has six double-doubles in eight games. ... Florida finished with a tournament-high 40 3-pointers made. ... The Gators averaged 101 points per game in the tourney. ... Florida's backcourt of Jalen Hudson, KeVaughn Allen and Chris Chiozza all received tournament honors.