Kyle Filipowski and Duke got pushed around again in the NCAA Tournament. This time, the Blue Devils responded to set up a Tobacco Road showdown for a spot in the Final Four.
The 7ft sophomore center had 16 points and nine rebounds, Jeremy Roach scored all 14 of his points after halftime, and Duke advanced to the Elite Eight with a 54-51 win over top-seeded Houston, who played the final 26 minutes on Friday night without All-America point guard Jamal Shead after he turned his right ankle.
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Even with Shead on the bench, the fourth-seeded Blue Devils had to overcome a physical defense who have been one of the best in the country all season. They won despite a season low in points.
“Any questions about their mental toughness or their heart, I think they answered those tonight,” second-year coach Jon Scheyer said.
Duke were ousted in the second round a year ago when Filipowski, Roach and the Blue Devils were bullied in a 65-52 loss to Tennessee, their fewest points last season.
“This game right here was that same type of game. Just a great, gritty team and their culture. Just seeing the togetherness, how we didn’t quit out there tonight, that really shows the growth from last year,” Filipowski said. “We remember how upset we were from last year, and we didn’t want to repeat that again.”
They didn’t, and will play in the South Region final Sunday against an Atlantic Coast Conference rival, No 11 seed North Carolina State.
The Wolfpack, the only double-digit seed left in this NCAA Tournament, beat No 2 seed Marquette 67-58, their eighth win in a row in a streak that included a 74-69 victory over the Blue Devils just two weeks ago in the ACC Tournament.
“It’s going to be crazy. A rematch of the ACC Tournament,” Roach said. “They’re on a crazy run.”
Shead departed with 6:38 left in the first half after his right foot turned awkwardly on a drive while missing a contested layup. By then, he had been on the floor under the basket for about 15 seconds while play continued at the other end until Houston got the ball after a Duke miss.
The senior guard, who has been part of 120 wins at Houston in his four seasons, reached for his foot when he went down and then pulled his jersey up over his face. He walked gingerly to the locker room after getting tended to by an athletic trainer, then sat on the bench throughout the second half. He limped off the court after the Cougars became the second No 1 seed knocked out – a night after North Carolina lost to Alabama.
“I hate that it ended like this. I wish I could have got back out there and at least been in the fight,” Shead said. “It would have been different if I could have at least limped around a little bit and fought a little bit.”
The Blue Devils trailed 16-10 when Shead exited, and never led until Tyrese Proctor’s two free throws made it 21-20 with 2:46 left in the first half. They never trailed again.
“It didn’t feel like a fair fight. Two of theirs equals one of Jamal. That’s how good he was. You don’t have another one of those,” Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson said. “You don’t have the best defensive player in the Big 12. You don’t have the guy who made all the big shots at the end.”
