They've all hurt Duke at one point or another this season.

Thursday's NCAA first-round game didn't unfold any differently or any better for the sixth-seeded Blue Devils, who lost to No. 11 Virginia Commonwealth 79-77 at HSBC Arena.

That's why they're going home.

This time VCU guard Eric Maynor, a Fayetteville native, hurt the Devils most, hitting three big shots in the final 1:25 of a tight game to lead his team to victory.

This was Duke's first loss in the first round since the 1996 tournament, when the Blue Devils lost to Eastern Michigan 75-60 in the Southeast Regional.

"Getting here every year since 1996 is the story," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "... Playing in the NCAA Tournament is not a birthright."

Not for this Duke team, which had won close games and lost close games and looked good and bad doing both.

Maynor's late heroics and 22 points gave VCU (28-6) the biggest push at the end of Thursday's game just like Duke guard Greg Paulus' 25 points and Josh McRoberts' 22 points and 12 rebounds did for the Devils.

"I'm never happy with my performance when we lose because that means I did not do enough to win the game," McRoberts said.

Duke had led by as many as 11 in the second half before the Rams came back to take a 68-67 lead on Michael Anderson's two free throws with 5:59 left in the game.

The score was tied at 72 when McRoberts made one of two free throws with 1:42 left. That's also when Maynor started answering every shot Duke put up.

Maynor scored with 1:25 left to put VCU up 74-72. After Paulus laid the ball up to tie the score at 74, Maynor came back, this time dropping a floater over the McRoberts' outstretched hands.

McRoberts was fouled again, this time while trying to grab a rebound, and again made only one of two free throws.

When VCU's Jesse Pellot-Rosa also went one of two from the free-throw line, with 16.0 seconds left, Nelson grabbed the rebound and hustled to the other end to tie the score at 77 with the clock ticking down -- 12,11, 10.

With the game on the line, Maynor didn't hesitate. He went right at Duke freshman Jon Scheyer, who had suffered a cut below his left eye a minute earlier, and pulled up to make a jumper with 1.8 seconds remaining.

Paulus would have a look at a long 3-pointer but it glanced harmlessly off the backboard.

As Paulus crumpled to the ground, VCU's Jamal Shuler, who is from Jacksonville, ripped off his jersey and waved it at a wild, pro-VCU crowd.

In the guard vs. guard battle, the Rams won with Maynor, Pellot-Rosa, Shuler and B.A. Walker, who combined for 60 points and only eight turnovers.

Duke guards, Paulus, Nelson, Scheyer, and Gerald Henderson, tallied 48 points with 14 turnovers.

Earlier in the second half, Duke looked to have all the push it would need up 61-50 at the 11 minute mark, before events slowed the game to a crawl.

Paulus and Maynor would get into a chest-to-chest staring match.

Henderson, back and playing well after a one-game suspension, cut his right hand and sat for several minutes while trainers checked him out.

Then, VCU big man Wil Fameni would go down under his own basket while Duke's David McClure fouled Walker as he made a layup.

Tending to Fameni and cleaning spots of blood from the court took another couple of minutes as the players stood around waiting for the game to resume.

Walker made his free throw, too, and VCU was just nine points down with 10:27 left.

By that time, the Rams had been pressing and trapping for most of the second half and it started paying off. Paulus gave the ball back in a trap and Shuler hit a 3 on the other end.

Shuler hit another 3, then Walker and Pellot-Rosa did the same, draining Duke of some of its spark as the Devils looked distracted and vulnerable.

All of it played out like one of those cable movies that runs 10 times a week on HBO. You've seen it all before, even the effort Duke gave in losing.

"People have criticized this team all year," Nelson said, "but we never gave up."