Via Kansas Athletics
LAWRENCE, Kan. – No. 17 Kansas fell at home, 90-84, in its final exhibition matchup against No. 2 Duke in the State Fram Blue Blood Classic on Sunday in a packed Allen Fieldhouse.
Freshman Tyran Stokes led Kansas with 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Fellow freshman Taylen Kinney and senior Keanu Dawes joined him in double figures with 14 and 11 points, respectively.
Duke was led by Patric Ngongba, who tallied 28 points and 10 rebounds. John Blackwell poured in 23 points, and Dame Sarr added 12 for the Blue Devils.
The early moments of Sunday’s matchup were defined by a pair of runs. Duke opened the contest on a 5-0 run, before Kansas quickly answered with a 12-1 outburst of its own. Much of the first half was spent with both teams in close quarters, with an early 12-point Duke lead the largest at any point in the game.
The Blue Devils found success from beyond the three-point line throughout the first half, shooting 40% from beyond the arc. Despite that, the Jayhawks were undeterred and cut the one-time 31-19 Duke lead in half, trailing by six at the under-four media timeout, 38-32. The Jayhawks’ offensive attack began to heat up in the final minutes of the half, converting three-consecutive shots from the field entering the final media timeout. That stretch would further blossom into a five-for-five run that tied the contest at 40, capped by a Dawes triple.
At the half, 15 points, six rebounds and four assists from Stokes helped the Jayhawks to a 45-43 advantage. Kansas closed the half on a 26-12 burst to take the lead.
Like the first, the second half opened with both teams trading off runs. Duke was first to the punch with a 6-0 breakaway to take a 49-45 lead, before Kansas responded with a 5-0 surge that catapulted the Jayhawks back in front by one.
Ahead 65-64 and nearing the midway point of the second half, Melvin Council Jr and Dawes connected to send Allen Fieldhouse into a frenzy of noise and celebration. Council tossed a transition lob into the path of a soaring Dawes, who threw down a foul-drawing slam to build Kansas’ lead to three at 67-64 with 11:41 to play.
Both teams continued to stay within close confines throughout the closing 10 minutes despite scoring becoming a premium late. Down by seven with four minutes to play, the Jayhawk offense worked to mount a late charge but ultimately fell just short as Duke wrapped up a 90-84 win.
UP NEXT
Kansas will open up the 2026-27 regular season on Monday, November 2, against the Fordham Rams. Tipoff from Allen Fieldhouse is set for 7 p.m. CT, and the game can be seen on ESPN+.
