Caleb Love hits buzzer-beating 3 to put Arizona ahead of Duke 41-33 at halftime

DURHAM, North Carolina – Former North Carolina guard Caleb Love banked in a 30-footer as the halftime buzzer to give Arizona a 41-33 halftime lead over Duke in a rare homecourt matchup between the traditional college basketball powers at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Love, having received jeers from the Cameron crowd because of his days with the nearby Tar Heels, rebounded a missed free throw from Duke’s Christian Reeves and raced downcourt, lofting up a 30-footer that banked into the basket as the buzzer sounded.

Guard Kylan Boswell led the Wildcats with nine points and four rebounds, while Duke’s Kyle Filipowski led all scorers with 11 points.

The Wildcats finished the first half on a 5-1 run after the game was played within two possessions until the Love’s final shot went up.

While Arizona kept Duke quiet on its first two possessions, getting a dunk from Oumar Ballo and a layup from Pelle Larsson to take a quick 4-0 lead, the Wildcats never led by more than five for most of the first half.

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Arizona guard Kylan Boswell (4) looks to pass against Duke guard Jeremy Roach (3) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

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But after Arizona twice defended layup attempts from Duke’s Ryan Young with just under three minutes to go, the Wildcats went inside on the other end of the court, where KJ Lewis fed an assist to Keshad Johnson for a layup that gave UA a 36-30 lead with 2:33 left.

After Filipowski scored inside, picking up a foul but missing the ensuing free throw, Johnson went back for a dunk to restore UA’s six point lead. Reeves picked up a foul from Johnson with six seconds left but missed the second of two free throws, setting up Love’s buzzer-beating heroics. 

Arizona shot 43.6% for the half while Duke finished at 40.6, with both teams struggling from the 3-point line. Duke was 2 for 12 from long range while UA was 3 for 10.

VIDEO: The No. 12 Arizona men’s basketball team warms up before its clash with No. 2 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina on Nov. 10, 2023. (Brett Fera/Arizona Daily Star)

VIDEO: The No. 12 Arizona men’s basketball team warms up before its clash with No. 2 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina on Nov. 10, 2023. Arizona forward Caleb Love, who saw Duke often enough while at North Carolina before transferring to Arizona, warms up with yellow over-the-ear headphones on; Duke’s Cameron Crazies were on the familiar Love’s case long before the game tipped off. (Bruce Pascoe/Arizona Daily Star)

VIDEO: Still roughly an hour before tipoff, the quaint but raucous Cameron Indoor Stadium (capacity 9,314) was already loud as both No. 2 Duke and No. 12 Arizona warm up on “Coach K Court”. (Bruce Pascoe/Arizona Daily Star

VIDEO: Arizona basketball made it’s first trip to Duke’s hallowed Cameron Indoor Stadium in decades on Nov. 10, 2023, with the No. 12 Wildcats facing the No. 2 Blue Devils in an early-season game between national powers. (Brett Fera/Arizona Daily Star)

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Arizona guard Pelle Larsson (3) drives to the basket against Duke center Kyle Filipowski, right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Arizona guard Kylan Boswell (4) looks to pass against Duke guard Jeremy Roach (3) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Arizona center Oumar Ballo dunks against Duke during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Arizona guard KJ Lewis, top, and Duke guard Jeremy Roach, bottom, dive for the ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Arizona guard Jaden Bradley, right, looks to drive against Duke guard Jared McCain, left, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Arizona forward Keshad Johnson (16) shoots against Duke guard Jared McCain (0) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Arizona guard Caleb Love (2) drives against Duke guard Tyrese Proctor during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Arizona center Motiejus Krivas (14) tries to shoot between Duke guard Caleb Foster (1) and center Ryan Young (15) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Arizona forward Keshad Johnson (16) battles Duke forward Mark Mitchell (25) for a rebound during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Arizona forward Keshad Johnson, top, shoots against Duke guard Jeremy Roach (3) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Arizona guard Pelle Larsson (3) drives to the basket against Duke center Kyle Filipowski, right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Arizona guard Kylan Boswell (4) looks to pass against Duke guard Jeremy Roach (3) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Arizona center Oumar Ballo dunks against Duke during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Arizona guard KJ Lewis, top, and Duke guard Jeremy Roach, bottom, dive for the ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Arizona guard Jaden Bradley, right, looks to drive against Duke guard Jared McCain, left, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Arizona forward Keshad Johnson (16) shoots against Duke guard Jared McCain (0) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Arizona guard Caleb Love (2) drives against Duke guard Tyrese Proctor during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Arizona center Motiejus Krivas (14) tries to shoot between Duke guard Caleb Foster (1) and center Ryan Young (15) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Arizona forward Keshad Johnson (16) battles Duke forward Mark Mitchell (25) for a rebound during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Arizona forward Keshad Johnson, top, shoots against Duke guard Jeremy Roach (3) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Contact sports reporter Bruce Pascoe at bpascoe@tucson.com. On X(Twitter): @brucepascoe

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