LAHAINA, Hawaii — Tyler Thornton had taken nine shots all season and was on the court for his defense.
When Duke needed a big shot, he hit two.
Thornton capped a thrilling game between basketball behemoths, hitting an off-balance 3-pointer with 20 seconds left to give the sixth- ranked Blue Devils enough cushion to finish off a 68-61 victory over No. 14 Kansas late Wednesday night for their fifth Maui Invitational title.
Thornton hit one 3-pointer with 1:10 left and put the Blue Devils ahead for good with his second, sending the crowd into a frenzy while keeping Duke (7-0) undefeated in 15 Maui Invitational games.
“It’s a dream shot,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “People will say it’s a lucky shot, but I’ll say I’m lucky to have him on my team. Sometimes you’re on a bus with a guy who deserves and for that moment we were on his bus. Thank goodness he knew how to drive it.”
The Blue Devils and Jayhawks (3-2) went toe-to-toe from the start. Unleashing an array of alley-oops, 3-pointers and teeth-jarring picks, they never let the other get too far ahead, with 16 lead changes and 12 ties.
