Ngongba II Dominates; No. 2 Duke Wins, 90-84, in Exhibition at No. 17 Kansas

Sunday, October 25

Lawrence, Kan.

1 p.m.

Duke University

0-0,0-0ACC

Kansas

0-0,0-0Big 12

Team	1	2	F
Duke	43	47	90
Kansas	45	39	84

Patrick Ngongba II dunks at Kansas in exhibition game

10/25/2026 3:35:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Photo Gallery

LAWRENCE, Kan. – No. 2 Duke pushed past No. 17 Kansas, 90-84, in a road exhibition game at Allen Fieldhouse on Sunday, Oct. 25. Patrick Ngongba II paced the Blue Devils with a 28-point, 10-rebound double-double, while adding four assists and two blocks. John Blackwell also posted a 20-point outing with 23 points, fueled by a 4-of-6 shooting performance from beyond the arc.

Ngongba II scored 16 of his 28 points in the first half and finished the afternoon shooting 9-of-12 from the field and 9-of-10 from the charity stripe.

Duke trailed by two at halftime and opened the second frame with six quick points to rally back into the lead. A strong response from a slight deficit in the second half remained a common theme for the Blue Devils, as an 11-point scoring run in the closing moments of the game helped Duke seize control for good on the road. The late scoring run spanned more than five minutes, as the Blue Devils' defense held Kansas to seven consecutive misses from the field in crunch time.

The Blue Devils won the rebounding battle, 43-30, and tallied 11 second-chance points off of 11 offensive rebounds.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Duke quickly put five points on the board, with a layup by Patrick Ngongba II right off the opening tip and a three-pointer from John Blackwell 20 seconds later. The hosts responded with seven unanswered, taking their first lead of the afternoon, 7-5, after two minutes of play.
A triple courtesy of Ngongba II, combined with a pair of free throws and fast-break dunk from Dame Sarr, eventually knotted the score, 13-13, with 14:10 on the clock.
Duke's defense held Kansas to a 2-of-15 shooting stretch, spanning nearly seven minutes of play, while building a 12-point lead, 30-18, following another bucket by Ngongba II.
Kansas answered with nine of the next 12 points, narrowing Duke's lead to six with six minutes before halftime. A step-back three-pointer by Deron Rippey Jr. right before the under-four timeout maintained the Blue Devils' two-possession lead, 38-32.
From there, the Jayhawks used a 10-3 burst to move back in front, taking a 42-41 with 1:33 remaining before halftime, the hosts' first lead since the 15:33 mark. Kansas remained ahead by a slight margin, 45-43, at the halfway point.
Duke emerged from the locker room with six points in less than 90 seconds, forcing a quick Kansas timeout. The two teams went back and forth over the next phase of the contest, with the lead remaining within three points for either side. Ngongba II continued to contribute across the board, eclipsing 20 points, while also adding six rebounds and three assists.
A three-point play out of the under-12 break gave the Jayhawks a four-point lead, 68-64. Duke posted five fast points with a dunk by Sebastian Wilkins and a three-pointer by Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, re-claiming the lead, 69-68. Another poster dunk from Wilkins gave Duke nine straight points and a five-point lead with just under 10 minutes remaining.
Blackwell's third triple of the contest kept the lead at five, 81-76, as the clock ticked under six minutes. Ngongba II wrapped up his double-double with his 10th rebound right before the under-four timeout, which Duke entered with an 83-76 advantage.
A dagger three-pointer from Blackwell expanded the lead to 88-76 and matched the Blue Devils' largest lead of the night.
Duke allowed just two made field goals the rest of the way, securing the 90-84 victory.

UP NEXT

No. 2 Duke opens the regular season at Cameron Indoor Stadium, hosting Army West Point on Monday, Nov. 2.
The Blue Devils and Black Knights tip off the 2026-27 calendar at 6:30 p.m., broadcast live on ESPNU.

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