Duke downs Texas Tech, sends Coach K’s farewell tour to Elite Eight
Written by B87FM on March 25, 2022
SAN FRANCISCO — Mike Krzyzewski’s teaching profession continues for no less than yet one more sport, and so does the opportunity of ending his legendary tenure at Duke with a sixth nationwide championship.
After wanting overwhelmed by Texas Tech’s suffocating protection at instances, the Blue Devils responded with an impressed second half behind star freshman Paolo Banchero and 7-1 middle Mark Williams to energy Duke to a 78-73 victory Thursday within the semifinals of the NCAA Event’s West Regional. It additionally marked Krzyzewski’s 100th match win.
On Saturday, the second-seeded Blue Devils will face No. 4 Arkansas, which upset top-seeded Gonzaga 74-68, with a spot within the Closing 4 on the road. In the event that they advance that far, Krzyzewski would set a report with a 13th Closing 4 look, breaking a tie with the long-lasting John Picket of UCLA.
Banchero and Williams mixed for 38 factors, imposing their measurement towards a Crimson Raiders staff that had allowed an opponent as many as 70 factors solely twice this season.
The sport pitted Duke’s common assortment of blue-chip prospects certain for the NBA – tops amongst them Banchero and guard AJ Griffin – towards a gritty, skilled Texas Tech roster that includes a number of transfers and 5 upperclassmen within the beginning lineup. Solely one in every of Duke’s starters, junior ahead Wendell Moore, has performed greater than two seasons of faculty basketball. Three of its 5 main scorers are freshmen.
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The Blue Devils had regarded shaky in going 2-2 over their final 4 video games earlier than the NCAAs, together with a runaway loss to rival North Carolina in Krzyzewski’s closing residence sport. Their two March Insanity victories had been stable however lower than spectacular, elevating questions on Duke’s capacity to get previous the Crimson Raiders, not to mention attain the Closing 4 in New Orleans.
Duke was lucky to path by solely 33-29 at intermission after main solely as soon as, when it went up 24-22 on a Jeremy Roach jumper on the 7:47 mark. The Crimson Raiders promptly launched a 7-Zero run from that time however did not capitalize on holding the Blue Devils to 2-for-12 capturing the remainder of the half.
A renewed emphasis on benefiting from their superior measurement, particularly the mix of Banchero and Williams, fueled the comeback victory.
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