The Tribune

By JOHN MARSHALL AP Basketball Writer LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) -- Tyler Thornton had taken nine shots all season, and was on the court for his defense. When Duke needed a big shot, he hit two. Thornton capped a thrilling game between basketball behemoths, hitting an off-balance 3-pointer with 20 seconds left to give the sixth-ranked Blue Devils enough cushion to finish off a 68-61 win over No. 14 Kansas for its fifth Maui Invitational title. Thornton hit one 3-pointer with 1:10 left and put the Blue Devils ahead for good with his second, sending the crowd into a frenzy while keeping Duke (7-0) undefeated in 15 Maui Invitational games. "It's a dream shot," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "People will say it's a lucky shot, but I'll say I'm lucky to have him on my team. Sometimes you're on a bus with a guy who deserves and for that moment we were on his bus. Thank goodness he knew how to drive it." The Blue Devils and Jayhawks went toe-to-toe from the start, electrifying the crowd with the kind of compelling counterpunching you'd expect from blue blood programmes. Unleashing an array of alley-oops, 3-pointers and teeth-jarring picks, they never let the other get too far ahead, with 16 lead changes and 12 ties. Ryan Kelly hurt Kansas with his inside-outside game, scoring 17 points to earn MVP honours. Mason Plumlee gave the Jayhawks fits inside with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Kansas was led by Thomas Robinson, who had 16 points and 15 rebounds. Jeff Withey provided an unexpected lift with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Tyshawn Taylor had a solid first half on his way 17 points, but tired down the stretch to finish with 11 of Kansas' 17 turnovers. Fittingly, it came down to a thrilling finish. Eljiah Johnson hit a 3-pointer with 1:33 left to put Kansas (3-2) up 61-60. Thornton answered 23 seconds later, surprising the Jayhawks with a 3 of his own. Thornton then put the punctuation on this classic in paradise, dropping in his 3 after Taylor had his 11th turnover at the other end. "We couldn't have guarded him any better," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "That was unbelievable."