Duke Survives!
#1 seeded Duke Blue Devils survive an upset bid by ACC-foe 4th seeded Virginia Tech Hokies 75-73 in the Sweet Sixteen. It was an exciting back and forth game that saw the lead change hands numerous times. The young Duke team took the lead late, but not before the Virginia Tech Hokies had their chances in the closing seconds. They had 3 shots on the final possession; their best one coming on the last possession of the game when they ran an out-of-timeout baseline out of bounds play to perfection…except the shot didn’t fall. For the second game in a row, the basketball Gods smiled upon Duke, as their opponent was not able to convert a last-second point-blank shot.
The Virginia Tech Hokies did everything right on the last play to extend the game and their season. They aligned in a box set. They ran cutters away from the basket, freeing the paint up. Then Ahmed Hill curled around the center holding the ball side block. With the Blue Devil defender trailing, the cutting Hill curled to the basket free. The ball was lobbed perfectly. No good. Game over. The Hokies season over. This is March.
The Duke win sets up a powerhouse showdown in the Elite with Michigan State who beat LSU.
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