NCAA: No. 1 Duke loses to Stephen F. Austin 85-83 in OT

NCAA – No. 1 ranked Duke University was stunned on Tuesday, suffering an 85-83 loss to Stephen F. Smith in overtime. This was the biggest upset in Division I basketball in 15 years.

Las Vegas oddsmakers had Duke as the favorite by 27.5 points.

Lumberjacks were able to seal the deal when Gavin Kensmil passed the ball to Nathan Bain, who drove to the basket for a layup (photo above) as time in the extra period expired.

The Stephen F. Austin team did not care who they were up against. They overcame a 15-point deficit in the first half and even took the lead later. And when Duke pulled ahead in the second half, Kensmill forced the game into overtime with a layup of his own.

Bain and Kensmill finished the game with 11 and 15 points, respectively. SFA was led in scoring by Kevon Harris, who poured in 26 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals.

The Duke Blue Devils got a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double from Vernon Carey Jr. and 17 points and 12 assists from Tre Jones.

Given the result of tonight’s game, it’s highly possible we will see a shake-up in the AP Poll Power Rankings by next week.

This surprise loss aside, Duke remains one of the favorites to win the NCAA title in 2020. They will simply have to work harder and be better prepared to avoid crazy upsets such as this one.