November 24, 2011
Duke defeats Kansas for the Maui Invitational Title
The Duke Blue Devils had to rely on a lucky shot to make it pass the Kansas Jayhawks, but at the end they made it clear: they are the kings of Maui .
By Stephen Lars
Two powerhouses of the NCAA Basketball circuit reached the finals of the Maui Invitational to spice things up during the college hoops season. And the game was filled with the typical excitement one would expect from a matchup between Duke and the Kansas Jayhawks. These teams' pedigree alone could prove to be sufficient to assure the fans one heck of a game and perhaps the finest final in the 28 years the Maui invitational has been running. And like any game worth talking about, the battle went all the way down to the finals seconds.
Some my call it a lucky shot. Some my say that it was certainly a desperate shot.
Some my call it a lucky shot. Some my say that it was certainly a desperate shot. The bottom line goes as follows: the Jayhawks had a 2-point lead and the shot clock was winding down. Kansas players were executing a very fine defense, and Duke seemed unable to find a loophole. Until they did, and Tyler Thornton took a jump shot that looked almost like a spreading eagle and connected the go ahed 3-pointer that would ultimately give #6 Duke a 68-61 win over the #14 Kansas. There can't be no doubt about it: the Maui Invitational has a king: Duke. This is Mike Krzyzewski's 5th Maui invitational title.
Both Duke and Kansas fans packed the Lahaina Civic Center. Much of the crowd came to see the likes of Seth Curry and Austin Rivers, the son of the Boston Celtics head Coach, Doc Rivers, come out and play. At the end, it was the other guys in royal blue who came out to still the show. Ryan Kelly, Mason Plumlee and Tyler Thornton not only stole the thunder, but they also secured the win. Thorton had it right, and he delivered exactly when his team needed it most. Consider for a second here that Thorton had only taken nine shots all season long. But he certainly shot the two most important shots in his career on this game, and thus kept on with Duke's 15-game winning streak at the Maui Invitational.
This game had all the excitement and the hype of a NCAA tournament game. Neither team allowed it's rival to move up on the scoreboard too much. In a game filled with poweful dunks, nice three pointers and alley-oops, the lead changed 16 times and there were 12 ties. The Kansas Jayhawks were lead by Thomas Robinson with 16 points and 15 rebounds, as he keeps collecting double-doubles in his college career. Most of the backup came via Jeff Withey who contributed with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
MVP honors went to Ryan Kelly who had 17 points and proved pivotal in Duke's game. Mason Plumlee was unstoppable inside the pain with 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Blue Devils. Ryan Kelly became the fifth Duke player to earn MVP honors, joining the likes of Kyle Singler in 2007 and Bobby Hurley in 1992. The Blue Devils outplayed Tennessee in the tournament opener and then defeated Michigan in the semifinals. The Jayhawks, on the other hand, had some trouble making it past Georgetown and UCLA, to eventually end up as the 2011 Maui Invitational runner-up.
Stephen Lars is a prominent sports blogger and currently covers the Sports news, previews and handicaps for the BetIAS Sportsbook. You may reprint this article in its full content, please note no modifications to it are accepted.