Fansided

Stephen F. Austin upsets Duke with improbable buzzer-beater to snap 19-year-streak

By Patrick Schmidt

PISCATAWAY, NJ - NOVEMBER 20: Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks head coach Kyle Keller during the second half of the College Basketball game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks on November 20, 2019 at the Louis Brown Athletic Center in Piscataway, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
PISCATAWAY, NJ - NOVEMBER 20: Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks head coach Kyle Keller during the second half of the College Basketball game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks on November 20, 2019 at the Louis Brown Athletic Center in Piscataway, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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For the first time in nearly 20 years, Duke lost at home to a non-conference opponent after falling to Stephen F. Austin in overtime on an improbable finish.

Stephen F. Austin just ruined Duke’s Thanksgiving.

In one of the biggest regular-season upsets in college basketball history, Stephen F. Austin beat Duke 85-83 in overtime. Normally, this type of upset would be reserved with Duke losing to a double-digit seed. It’s not even Thanksgiving and we’ve already seen one of the best upsets we’ll see all year.

The way the Lumberjacks won the game was stuff that will live in the memory of everyone in attendance at Cameron Indoor Stadium. It was an instant classic. Just as time was going to expire in overtime, there’s a breakaway leading to the game-winning bucket beating the buzzer.

Nathan Bain made the game-winning layup with Gavin Kensmill getting the assist on the biggest bucket in Stephen F. Austin’s history.

This is November!

https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1199546731958063104

Duke is the third straight No. 1 team to lose this year, suggesting the rest of the year will be utter madness with a dozen contenders for the national title. The last time Duke lost a non-conference game at home was to St. John’s on Feb. 26 in 2000. It was a streak of 150 games that ended in stunning fashion.

According to The Action Network, Stephen F. Austin was +8500 to beat Duke. This is as stunning of an upset as you’ll in the regular season. And for it to come right after Kentucky lost to Evansville, it makes it even crazier.

https://twitter.com/espn/status/1199550415811076097

The last time they lost at home to an unranked team from outside a power conference was when Wagner beat the Blue Devils on Jan. 5 in 1983. It was a historic upset that many fans across the nation also couldn’t see because it was on one of the extra ACC Network channels which isn’t in many homes. But if the start of the college basketball season is any indicator, the next few months will have plenty more improbable upsets and the No. 1 team falling several more times.

Duke might be a really good team, but they may not be a great team. And there may not be many great teams in college basketball this year. For fans, that should make it exciting with close games and not a superpower that blitzes their way to a Final Four.

It’s a long season for Duke and they’ll be fine in the long run, but this upset will have to be something they learn from with the hope of it not repeating in March.

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