Duke comes up short in Final Four
Duke falls in Final Four after strong second half for North Carolina.
NEW ORLEANS — Duke’s run has come to an end just one game shy of the national title.
A trip to Monday’s final game would have marked the sixth in Mike Krzyzewski’s storied career. But it wasn’t to be, as the Blue Devils fell to North Carolina, 81-77.
The battle between the two programs lived up to its long history once again, with the teams going back and forth for most of the night. The game ultimately featured 18 lead changes and 12 ties. Unfortunately for Duke, they were unable to grab the final lead as time ticked away.
In putting the game in historical perspective — of living up to the high standards most were placing on it, Krzyzewski certainly believes it matched the expectations.
As for perspective on how the game itself went, Duke’s long-time head coach knew opportunities existed for the Blue Devils, but his team could not get the crucial stops it needed to leave with the victory.
“I think it reached a level that you would expect,” he said. “Those kids from both teams played their hearts out … It was a heck of a game. And so it met up to that. It was disjointed, which games like that can be, but I think it met up to that level.
“And I’m proud of my guys. We had our chances in the last minutes. You have a one-point lead, if you can get a stop. But they’re good. They put a lot of pressure on you offensively.”
For Duke, the one point lead, 74-73, was with 1:20 remaining in the game. Wendell Moore Jr. had just connected on a 3-pointer — one of just __ for Duke on the night — and the Blue Devils looked to be garnering an edge.
But 19 seconds later, after coming out of a timeout, Jeremy Roach was called for a foul that sent UNC’s RJ Davis to the free throw line.
That was the stop Duke needed. Instead, UNC converted both free throws and jumped back out front 75-74. Those free throws ended up being a critical moment in the game. On the very next Duke possession, Mark Williams found his way to the free throw line with a chance to tie the game back up or give Duke the lead back with 46 seconds to go.
Instead, Williams, who has been nearly a 73% shooter from the free throw line, missed both attempts. UNC then converted a 3-pointer 21 seconds later to push their lead to four. It was too much to overcome for the Blue Devils, as they were forced to foul. UNC converted their tries to complete the upset.
For Duke, a few components proved to be big obstacles to a victory.
As Krzyzewski mentioned, the Tar Heels put a lot of offensive pressure on the Blue Devils. This was particularly true in the second half. Duke did a great job holding UNC’s offense in check in the first half, allowing just 35.3% shooting from the floor and 23% from 3-point range.
Caleb Love had just six points and was 0-of-4 from 3. Brady Manek posted just four points and was 0-of-2 from 3.
The second half was a different story, as Duke was unable to slow either. Love scored 22 points in the half, including 3-of-6 from long range, while Manek scored 10 points on 3-of-4 from 3 in the final 20 minutes.
As a team, UNC shot 50% from the field and 53.8% from 3.
That alone was a major problem for Duke.
On the flip side, the Blue Devils simply could not hit shots from the perimeter or the free throw line. Duke shot just 22.7% from 3 for the game, and 60% from the free throw line. Duke was just 12 of 20 from the line.
Then there was defensive rebounds. This has been an issue for Duke all season long. And it was yet again for the Blue Devils, as they were out-rebounded 50-41, including a 17-15 advantage in offensive boards. UNC converted those to 22 second chance points.
Additionally, early foul trouble for Mark Williams put a strain on the Blue Devils for much of the night.
All in all, Duke fought. This was not a case of the team not putting everything it had into the game, it was a situation where some things were just not going their way on this night.
Paolo Banchero was Duke’s leading scorer with 20 points, while also adding 10 rebounds. Trevor Keels kept Duke in the game late, scoring 19 points on the night. Moore was Duke’s only other double figure scorer with 10 points, and he also pulled down eight rebounds. Roach added eight points, six rebounds and five assists.
Williams finished with eight points and four rebounds in just 16 minutes of action.