Duke Advances to Elite Eight with Win Over Top-Seeded Houston

DALLAS, Texas – Fourth-seed Duke males’s basketball superior to the Elite Eight on Friday evening, defeating No. 1-seed Houston, 54-51, within the South Area semifinal at American Airways Middle. Jeremy Roach scored 14 second-half factors and Kyle Filipowski led the crew with 16 factors and 9 rebounds. Ryan Younger supplied 23 key minutes off the bench, scoring 4 factors and including 4 rebounds, ending the sport +18 within the field rating. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Houston scored the primary six factors of the sport, triggering an early Duke timeout with 18:14 on the clock. Kyle Filipowski knocked house a 3-pointer to present the Blue Devils their first factors of the evening simply over three minutes into the competition. A layup from Ryan Younger drew Duke inside one possession, 10-7, on the 14-minute mark.
• Jared McCain drew a cost after which hit his first 3-pointer of the evening to make it a 14-10 deficit shortly earlier than the under-eight timeout. A dunk by Mark Mitchell pulled the Blue Devils inside one, 17-16, which remained the rating on the closing media break of the primary half.
• Two free throws from Tyrese Proctor gave Duke its first lead, 21-10, with 2:46 on the first-half clock. A floater on the horn by Houston despatched the Blue Devils into the break main by one, 23-22.
• Filipowski drove to the ring for a scoop layup on Duke’s first possession of the second body and Jeremy Roach related on a turn-around jumper on the subsequent journey down the ground, giving Duke a 27-25 lead. A 3-pointer from Proctor pushed the benefit to 4, 32-28, Duke’s largest lead of the evening thus far.
• Younger rocked the rim with an emphatic dunk with 5 minutes elapsed within the second half and Roach drilled a pull-up jumper to place the Blue Devils again forward by 4, 36-32. Roach then knocked in a nook 3-pointer to push the result in 5, 39-34. The senior captain then grew to become the primary Blue Satan in double-figures following three free-throws out of the under-12 timeout.
• A powerful layup by way of contact by Filipowski gave Duke a four-point edge, 50-46, because the clock ticked below 5 minutes to go. Three straight defensive stops have been adopted by a Roach mid-range jumper, increasing the Blue Devils’ benefit to eight, 54-48, forcing a Houston timeout with 1:13 left to play.
• A 3-point-play adopted by a defensive cease by the Cougars gave the No. 1-seed possession within the frontcourt with 16 seconds remaining. Duke’s protection held robust, forcing a cease and securing the 54-51 win.

NOTES

• Friday’s NCAA Event regional semifinal victory is Duke’s first win over a No. 1-seed since defeating Wisconsin, 68-63, within the nationwide championship recreation on April 6, 2015, in Indianapolis.
• Duke will play in its twenty fourth all-time Elite Eight on Sunday, marking the third-most Elite Eight appearances by any crew.
• Duke has superior to the Elite Eight in three of its final 4 NCAA Tournaments.
• The Blue Devils have now received 5 consecutive NCAA Event video games performed within the state of Texas (two wins every in 2015 and 2010 – each in Houston).
• With the win over Houston – ranked No. 2 in the newest AP High-25 – Duke secured its first win over a top-5 crew since defeating No. 1 Gonzaga, 84-81, on Nov. 26, 2021, in Las Vegas.
• Duke’s protection held Houston to 51 factors, 23.1 beneath its season common of 74.1. The Blue Devils have held 30 of their 35 opponents to beneath their respective scoring common.
• The 51 factors scored by Houston was its second-lowest scoring output of the season, trailing solely the 41 factors scored versus Iowa State on March 16.
• By three NCAA Event video games, Duke’s protection has averaged simply 51 factors allowed per recreation.
• The Blue Devils restricted the Cougars to simply 22 first-half factors, the fewest scored by Houston in a gap half since scoring 21 at Iowa State on Jan. 9 and simply the second time within the 2023-24 marketing campaign Houston was held to 22 factors or much less within the first half.
• Duke snagged a halftime lead, 23-22, utilizing a 10-2 run late within the first half to maneuver in entrance. The Blue Devils are actually 25-1 this season when main at halftime.
• Duke out-rebounded Houston, 34-30, successful the rebounding battle for the twenty fourth time this season. The Blue Devils are actually 22-2 this season when ending with extra rebounds than their opponent.
• As a crew, Duke assisted on 14 of its 20 made photographs, a 70-percent help charge.
• The Blue Devils transfer to 122-40 (.753) all-time within the NCAA Event, the most effective successful share in match historical past by a crew with a minimal of 20 video games performed.
• Friday marked the primary assembly between Duke and Houston.
• Kyle Filipowski scored a game-high 16 factors, whereas grabbing a team-best 9 boards.
• The sophomore heart knocked down three 3-pointers for the sixth time this season and ninth time in his profession, and in addition dished two assists.
• Jeremy Roach scored all 14 of his factors following the intermission and has posted no less than 10 factors in 5 of his final six video games.
• Ryan Younger performed 23 minutes off the bench, ending the sport +18 within the field rating.
• The graduate scholar scored 4 factors on 2-for-2 taking pictures from the sphere and reeled in 4 caroms, whereas additionally logging one steal.
• Tyrese Proctor‘s lock-down defensive effort resulted in a career-high three steals, whereas additionally contributing 9 factors, 4 assists and a rebound.
• In Proctor’s final 10 video games, the sophomore guard has distributed 41 assists with simply 11 turnovers.
• Jared McCain performed all 40 minutes for the primary time in his profession and added seven factors on 3-of-6 taking pictures, hit the glass with six boards and dished 4 assists.

QUOTES

• “That was only a totally different recreation, so to begin out that manner and simply claw our manner again. I believe any questions on their psychological toughness or any questions on their coronary heart, I believe they answered that tonight. Clearly we’ve got to reply rapidly and prepare for a fast turnaround on Sunday, however I am simply actually pleased with them. Ryan (Younger)’s protection, his physicality to match what they do, I believed was a giant distinction within the recreation. Then Tyrese (Proctor) did not have — he has 9 factors and 4 assists, which was key. He was simply so regular for us, however his protection was off the charts, off the charts.” – head coach Jon Scheyer
• “Simply going again to final 12 months and the second spherical towards Tennessee, this recreation proper right here was that very same kind of recreation. Only a nice, gritty crew and their tradition. Simply seeing the togetherness, how we did not stop on the market tonight, that actually exhibits the expansion from final 12 months. We bear in mind how upset we have been from final 12 months, and we did not need to repeat that once more. We all know we’ve got an ideal crew. We have been by way of a lot this 12 months. We simply caught collectively, and that was crucial factor.” – sophomore heart Kyle Filipowski
• “I take a whole lot of pleasure in my protection. I believe I set the tone final 12 months. I believed I began off the season not on the similar stage I used to be final 12 months, and clearly watched a whole lot of movie and simply acquired again to work. I imply, it is all about preparation and the way we’re in follow, how I’m mentally in follow, and simply taking pleasure when the sport is on the road. The sport goes to be received on protection. All of the 50/50 balls we got here up with in direction of the top of the sport actually helped us. That is all, it truly is simply pleasure.” – sophomore guard Tyrese Proctor

UP NEXT

• No. 4-seed Duke (27-8) advances to the South Regional Ultimate, taking up No. 11-seed NC State on Sunday, March 31. The sport suggestions off at 5:05 ET, broadcast on CBS.

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