NCAA Tournament Round 2: Duke Outlasts UCF 77-76 In Thrilling Game, Texas Beats Xavier [VIDEO]

Duke was supposed to steamroll their way to the NCAA Championship this year. Going into March Madness 2019, the team had 5-to-1 odds to win it all. But things looked like they were about to go south on Sunday when a veteran UCF squad came out and didn’t buy into the hype. Early in the second half, Duke found itself tied with a No. 9 seed.

Duke basketball Edges UCF In March Madness Round 2

The two teams battled it out until the clock withered down to mere seconds. Then, Duke turned Central Florida’s strategy on its head. It’s easy to do when you have the most famous coach in college history. Coach Mike Krzyzewski used a timeout to address his team. It worked.

“When the greatest coach of all time looks at you and tells you that you’re made for this moment, it’s like the most confidence you can be given,” star Zion Williamson said after the game. “So when I went to the basket, I knew it was going in.”

Williamson’s and-one, along with a put-back by RJ Barrett after Zion’s missed free throw, put Duke on top with a one-point lead. However, 11 seconds remained on the clock. The Blue Devils then got ready to defend.
Though UCF guard B.J. Taylor got a great look and Aubrey Dawkins had the chance for a put-back like Barrett’s seconds earlier, neither fell. Guard Cam Reddish used the game as an opportunity to dismiss the critics of Duke who said they were too young a team to succeed.

“We’ve been through so much together. Being together during those last couple minutes of the game, they hit some tough shots,” he said. “For us to stay together, obviously we’re a young group of guys and people say a lot of stuff about that. But we had trust the coaches and trust in each other. It’s a good win for us.”

Duke will next face No. 4-seed Virginia Tech in the Sweet 16 on Friday night. Here are some highlights:

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No. 2 Texas narrowly beat out no. 3 Xavier 78-76 to move on. Tyrique Jones led his squad with 22 points and 11 rebounds in the loss. No. 1 North Carolina blew out ninth seed Washington 81-59. Fletcher Magee also failed to build up his NCAA record of most career three-pointers, going 0 for 12 behind the arc. The Wofford Terriers fell to Kentucky 56-62 to cap off an impressive career for Magee.