2022 NCAA Tournament: Late run pushes Duke basketball past Michigan State, into Sweet 16
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Duke basketball is Sweet 16 bound after an 85-76 win over Michigan State on Sunday afternoon. But it didn’t come easy.
The No. 2 seed Blue Devils trailed the No. 7 seed Spartans by five points with five minutes left at Bon Secours Wellness Arena but used clutch baskets from forward Paolo Banchero and guard Jeremy Roach – as well as some excellent defense from Banchero and center Mark Williams – to avoid a major upset.
Banchero had a team-high 19 points, plus seven rebounds and four assists, while Roach, Williams and forward Wendell Moore Jr. scored 15 points apiece and a resurgent guard Trevor Keels added 12 points off the bench. After trailing 70-65 with 5:10 left in the second half, Duke ended the game on a 20-6 run.
Duke (30-6) advances to the West Region’s Sweet 16 round in San Francisco. The Blue Devils will play No. 3 seed Texas Tech on Thursday for an Elite Eight spot. The Red Raiders defeated No. 11 seed Notre Dame 59-53 on Sunday night.
Here are three takeaways from Duke’s second-round win.
Key stretch
Michigan State led by three points at the 3:43 mark of the second half after two Joey Hauser free throws. From there, Duke took over – and it started with Keels, who tied the score at 72 with a clutch top-of-the-key 3-pointer. In his three previous games, the freshman was a combined 0-for-10 on 3s.
The Spartans went back ahead 74-72 with AJ Hoggard’s layup at 2:44, but that lead ended up being their last. Banchero’s layup gave Duke a 75-74 lead at the 2:05 mark, and that fueled a 13-2 run to end the game. How’s that for a response? The Blue Devils also hit all five of their last five field goal attempts.
Jeremy Roach shines for Duke
Duke got its usual – and absolutely necessary – frontcourt production from the 6-foot-10 Banchero and 7-1 Williams, who combined for 34 points on 14-for-24 shooting, 15 rebounds and six blocks Sunday.
Roach’s 15 points, though, were just as crucial. A shifty 6-2 guard, he scored 13 of his 15 points in the second half and at times willed Duke’s offense by himself. Outside of some outstanding finishes at the rim, he also matched Keels with a clutch 3 of his own that put Duke ahead 78-74 with 1:14 remaining.
Who’s next for Duke Blue Devils?
Duke and Texas Tech have not met this season and only once in history, on Dec. 20, 2018, in New York.
The No. 2-ranked Blue Devils won 69-58 behind Zion Williamson's 17 points and 13 rebounds. It was the first loss that season for the Red Raiders, who entered the game 10-0 and ranked No. 12 nationally.
Chapel Fowler is a recruiting reporter for The Fayetteville Observer and the USA TODAY Network. Reach him by email at cfowler@gannett.com or on Twitter at @chapelfowler.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Duke basketball survives Michigan State scare, heads to Sweet 16
