How Gonzaga upset Duke in the Maui Invitational final

The ‘Zags ended Duke’s unbeaten season in Maui.

There was talk that Duke could go undefeated heading into the Maui Invitational. TV networks were filled with debates center on whether the Blue Devils could beat the Cleveland Cavaliers. Duke was the No. 1 team in the polls, the team with the top three freshmen in the sport, and the team expected to cut down the nets in March.

Gonzaga just outlasted them in the championship game of the Maui Invitational.

The ‘Zags held on to beat Duke 89-87 in Maui. It completes a three-game sweep for Gonzaga at the tournament that also included wins over Illinois and Arizona.

Gonzaga’s offense was on fire early and was able to get enough stops late. Mark Few’s team shot 52 percent from the field and made 10-of-19 attempts from three-point range. The Bulldogs spread offense attacked center Marques Bolden from early in the first half to build the lead. They were able to seal the win by shutting down Duke’s drives to the paint in crunch time.

Here are three things we learned from Gonzaga’s win over Duke.

1. Gonzaga is a legitimate national title contender

The ‘Zags were our No. 3 team in the preseason. That ranking factored in Killie Tillie, the stud junior forward who is sidelined until at least January after ankle surgery. That Gonzaga just did that to Duke without its best player only confirms this is a real threat to win it all in Minneapolis come early April.

Rui Hachimura and Zach Norvell carried the scoring for the ‘Zags. Hachimura dominated the paint to finish with 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Norvell challenged Duke star R.J. Barrett on both ends all night to finish with 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting, 4-of-6 from three-point range.

Senior center Brandon Clarke also deserves praise. Clarke, a transfer from San Jose State, keyed the ‘Zags backline defense and never backed down against Zion Williamson.

The ‘Zags are a complete team with very few holes — and that’s without Tillie. Watch out for the Bulldogs.

2. Duke finally looked like the freshmen-laden team they are

When Duke plays its best game, no team in the country should be able to beat them. Duke did not play its best game — or even close to it — against Gonzaga on Wednesday.

Barrett got his numbers (23 points), but it took him 25 shots to get there. Barrett was shut down by Gonzaga late in the game, failing to convert four straight attempts on the final possessions. Williamson helped Duke stake its second half comeback but barely touched the ball on the final possessions. Cameron Reddish, meanwhile, was glued to Coach K’s bench.

Duke battled back from a big deficit and could have won at the end, but poor shot selection and questionable rotation choices cost them in the end. Duke is still the most talented teams in the country, but the way Gonzaga attacked them in the first half will be on every coach’s television screen all season long.

3. This game was incredible

What an atmosphere in Maui. Two elite teams going back-and-forth in a terrific game. Don’t be surprised if you see both of these squads in the Final Four.

We had highlight blocks from Zion Williamson:

We had coast-to-coast dunks from R.J. Barrett:

We had highlight reel plays from Gonzaga’s Zach Norvell:

Don’t wait until March to watch college hoops. It’s already great in November.