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Final Score: UCONN 73, Duke 72.
Oh my goodness! UCONN steals this one, on a Braylon Mullins three from just inside the logo off a needless Duke turnover with 0.4 seconds left! What an all-time tournament moment!
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Somehow, someway, UCONN secures the last Final Four bid. The Huskies had not led since the game was 2-0. After starting the game 1/18 from three, the Huskies got four big threes late in the game, Silas Demary with two, Alex Karaban with one in the last minute, and Mullins' miracle finish that just saved this Elite Eight from being an overall clunker. There is a lot to break down from this game in due time, though if it isn't clear by now, a Dan Hurley team is hard to kill during the NCAA Tournament.
The Final Four is set with #3 Illinois vs. #2 UCONN the opener and #1 Michigan vs. #1 Arizona the nightcap this Saturday in Indianapolis. Make the jump to see the game's final stats.
The Final Four is set with #3 Illinois vs. #2 UCONN the opener and #1 Michigan vs. #1 Arizona the nightcap this Saturday in Indianapolis. Make the jump to see the game's final stats.
Halftime Score: Duke 44, UCONN 29.
With the exception of a sloppy last four minutes of offense, Duke has dominated this game on both ends. The Blue Devils' defensive activity has made things tough for the Huskies, which are 1/11 from three (9.1%). Duke has been getting whatever it wants offensively, with the Boozer brothers playing really well. This has been Cameron Boozer's best showing so far in the tournament, with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks. Cayden Boozer is having an effective NCAA Tournament, continuing today with 13 points on 4-for-4 shooting, 3 assists, 2 rebounds and 2 steals. Duke has come ready to play, and the Huskies are going to need to get hot from deep and have the Blue Devils fall asleep for this game to get within striking distance during the second half. UCONN just does not have the explosive perimeter play necessary to win this game. Tarris Reed, Jr. has 10 points and kept UCONN close during the first eight minutes, but Alex Karaban is scoreless (0-for-5 from the field, with three of his misses coming from three) and UCONN's shooting is nowhere to be found. This has been another stinker of an Elite Eight game. So far this Elite Eight has not been competitive or close, with the exception of the ugly Iowa-Illinois game yesterday. Here are the game's halftime stats.
Prediction: Duke
Duke was much better during its Sweet Sixteen victory against St. John's on Friday night than the Blue Devils were during a shaky opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament. With that said, the Blue Devils will need their best game yet of the tournament as eliminating a Danny Hurley-coached team is a Herculean task. The question for UCONN is will its guards be able to hit some shots from the perimeter? Hurley will get his players open looks, it's a matter of if UCONN is able to convert as its outside shooting has been off, though it was a little better against Michigan State. While UCONN will guard Duke tough in the half court, Duke seems to be more balanced and explosive. The Huskies must make things tough on Isaiah Evans, who has been Duke's best offensive player in the tournament. Despite Hurley's brilliance and Alex Karaban's leadership and winning pedigree, this UCONN team ultimately lacks the scoring that will be needed to topple Duke. It is painful to go against Hurley and Karaban, but UCONN is running into a team that is just better than them. Duke will survive a close game and advance to the Final Four.
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