ATLANTA — Duke basketball faltered down the stretch in a 77-72 loss to Kentucky at the Champions Classic in Atlanta.

ATLANTA — Kentucky has a coach with a clipboard who knows how to use it. New Wildcats head man Mark Pope made all the right decisions down the stretch of a 77-72 win over No. 6 Duke that will have Big Blue Nation falling even further in love with him.

Duke tied the game at 72 with 1:14 minutes left, but never again shot back. Otega Oweh knocked down four free throws in the final 10.3 seconds and No. 19 Kentucky claimed the first big win of Mark Pope's coaching tenure,

Here's a breakdown of three areas that stood out for the wrong reasons in Duke basketball's loss to Kentucky at the Champions Classic.

The Duke Blue Devils lost for the first time in the 2024-25 season on Tuesday night, giving up a nine-point halftime lead to the Kentucky Wildcats in Atlanta. Superstar forward Cooper Flagg turned the

One way or another, Mark Pope’s first team as head coach of his alma mater would join the deep history of Kentucky vs. Duke. Thankfully, it was part of Lexington's good history, as Pope’s 19th-ranked Wildcats defeated the sixth-ranked Blue Devils in Catlanta by a final score of 77-72.

Kentucky men’s basketball coach Mark Pope speaks to the media after the Wildcats’ 77-72 win over the Duke Blue Devils in the Champions Classic at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024.

The Sporting News tracks live updates and highlights, including Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg's stats, from Duke vs. Kentucky on Tuesday night.