Bruins will play Duke in NCAA rematch

The Belmont community has never exactly forgotten “the Duke game.”

In 2008, the 71-70 NCAA tournament nail-biter loss to the Blue Devils was one of Belmont’s biggest moments.

It also, however, is a moment that still hurts for many Bruins fans. Even last March, the Beaman Student Life Center was filled with boos when Duke’s place in the NCAA tournament was announced.

Now, more than 1300 days later, the rematch many have waited for is set. The Bruins will play the Blue Devils Friday, Nov. 11, at historic Cameron Indoor Stadium in the new-look Maui Invitational.

The Bruins, who bring all but three players back from last year’s 30-5 conference championship team, see the Duke game, as well as a Nov. 15 game versus the Memphis Tigers, as major opportunities, head coach Rick Byrd said in a statement.

“Playing Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium will provide everyone in our program with a lifetime memory,” Byrd said, “and facing another national power in Memphis will certainly get our players’ attention to start the season.”

Belmont is one of the four “mainland teams” in this year’s expanded Maui Invitiational. They will play both Duke and Memphis on the road before both teams go to Hawaii for the championship rounds. The Bruins will then play two additional games in the tournament later that week at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.