GREENVILLE, SC – MARCH 20: Paulo Banchero #5 of the Duke Blue Devils returns the ball against the Michigan State Spartans in the first inning during the second round of the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 20, 2022 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The Duke Blue Devils survived a spirited effort from Michigan to advance to the Sweet 16 and help keep Mike Krzyzewski’s final season alive.
In an NCAA tournament that wasn’t fun for the top seeders, Duke looked like they had found themselves out of March Madness before Sweet 16.
Lagging Michigan State 70-65 in the final minutes, the Blue Devils went into a rip, She finished the match 20-6 to send off the Spartans 85-76 In order to survive and progress.
The spinning sequence came with Duke leading 75-74 as Paulo Banchero blocked a Michigan State corner kick in the defensive end before Jeremy Roach hit a three-dagger to extend the Blue Devils’ lead to four.
The strange lack of urgency from Michigan State offense helped seal the deal as Duke survived a war in Greenville to extend Mike Krzyowski’s final season for at least a few more days.
College basketball media reacts to Duke’s dramatic win over Michigan State
Who will play Duke next in the NCAA Championship?
The Blue Devils are now scheduled to head to San Francisco Thursday night to try to claim the Western District crown with a ticket to the Final Four. The first is a Sweet 16 match against the match winner between seed 3 Texas Tech and seed 11 Notre Dame, which is currently taking place in San Diego as of later.
The Blue Devils dominated Notre Dame in their only regular season meeting, so they’ll be a better fit than Texas Tech. Finding a way to deal with the Red Raiders’ strong defense will be a formidable challenge for the young Krzyzewski team to overcome, but you can never count on a team coached by Coach K.
For more NCAA basketball news, analysis, and highlights from March Madness, check out more from our FanSided college basketball section to stay up to date with the latest action.
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