LAS VEGAS, Nevada — In a game marred by foul trouble for the Gonzaga big men, the fifth ranked Duke Blue Devils defeated the no. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs 84-81 in Las Vegas.
Duke was led by a 20-point first half performance by star freshman Paolo Banchero and a near double double by forward Mark Williams, who finished with 17 points and 9 rebounds.
Gonzaga got a double double from sophomore guard Julian Strawther who finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out in the loss.
It was an uncharacteristic night from Gonzaga guard Andrew Nembhard, who only shot 2-7 from the floor and had as many turnovers as he had points (six).
Duke figures to be the new number one ranked team in the nation come Monday and increased their record to 7-0 on the season.
Gonzaga falls to 6-1. They return home to Spokane for a matchup with Tarleton State in the McCarthey Athletic Center on Monday night. Tip off for that game is set for 7:00 PM.