Seminoles bump off No. 1 Duke
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Duke is undefeated no more. And again, it was a trip to Tallahassee that did in the Blue Devils.
Derwin Kitchen scored 17 of his 22 points in the second half as Florida State pulled its latest upset of No. 1 Duke, ending the Blue Devils’ 25-game winning streak with a 66-61 victory Wednesday.
“Tonight wasn’t about us being bad,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “They were really good. They played with a verve.”
Chris Singleton added 18 points for Florida State (12-5, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), which made five free throws in the final 33 seconds to hold off the defending national champion.
It was the third time since 2002 that the Seminoles beat a top-ranked Blue Devils team at home.
“We came together tonight,” Singleton said. “It just feels good. If we can beat them, we can beat anybody.”
Duke (15-1, 2-1) hadn’t lost since a 79-72 defeat March 3, 2010, at Maryland. From there, the Blue Devils went on to win the ACC and NCAA tournaments for their fourth national title.
The 25-game winning streak was the second longest in Duke history.
“We have not been in a game like that (this season). They knocked us back,” Krzyzewski said, praising Florida State’s tenacity and athleticism. “You just learn from the experience. We have a long way to go.”
The Seminoles led 28-24 at halftime and by as many as 11 early in the second half, but the game was tight to the end.
Kyle Singler scored 20 points and Nolan Smith 19 for the Blue Devils, who missed their first 10 3-point attempts and shot 31.1 percent overall, ending their dreams of a perfect season.