Duke stuns No. 7 Virginia 63-62 on Allen’s buzzer-beater

Grayson Allen banked in a shot at the buzzer, and Duke beat No. 7 Virginia 63-62 in Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball on Saturday in Durham, N.C.

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski gestures during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Virginia in Durham, N.C., Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016.

There was another element in this game that was more coincidence than strategy, but Virginia had not won at Cameron Indoor since the Clinton Administration.

Freshman sensation Brandon Ingram led Duke (19-6, 8-4 ACC) with a game-high 25 points. He scored a team-high 18 points, shared the team lead with five rebounds and was the Cavaliers’ best defender on Ingram and Allen. For Duke, it’s Coach K’s 69th birthday and the Blue Devils are coming off their best win of the season, a 72-65 win over Louisville at home last Monday. 5 North Carolina on January 16 in its only other contest as a visitor versus a nationally ranked team.

Duke’s offense has gone silent with Azurà Stevens sidelined, but its most experienced leader is helping the Blue Devils compete on the defensive end. The Cavaliers have an opportunity to put its stamp on the league race in its upcoming games but the task at hand is protecting John Paul Jones Arena tonight against a team that is near the bottom of the league standings. “They wanted to play against a different color jersey and it’s been a while since we’ve done that”. NC State is 4-0 against the spread in their last four games, 4-1 against the spread following a game that they covered the point spread, and 1-4 against the spread following a win. No one judged you, the Virginia fans, if you collapsed into your seat, swore at the top of your lungs, or even shed a tear in frustration or shock.

Ingram single-handedly brought Duke back from an 11-point deficit. The last time they played, Virginia came out on top, bumping its SU record to 8-2 over North Carolina State in their most recent meetings. In an intense, rivalry game like this, Allen will not get those bailout calls. Ingram scored Duke’s final eight points of the half, including a jaw-dropping dunk from the baseline. The Demon Deacons went on an overall 31-11 run, after Duke led 11-2 early in the first quarter. Throw in a 8-2 advantage in 3-pointers – the Blue Devils made 8 of 22 triples (36.4%), while the Cavaliers made 2 of 11 (18.2%) – and that was just enough to get the win.

Ingram is significantly taller than Connaughton or Winslow, but he shoots 41 percent from 3-point range, and his slender frame adds to the difficulty of defending post players.

“Well, we talked to our guys at the half and Brandon Ingram didn’t have a rebound in the first half”, Krzyzewski said. They played well; we played well and it was tough to get shots off. … Anthony Barber led the game in scoring with 38 points on 10-for-20 shooting. On the contrary, Virginia has each of their last four opponents to 50 points or fewer.