SAN FRANCISCO – No. 2-seeded Duke shot 71 percent in the second half and did not miss a field goal attempt over the final 8:53 of the game to defeat No. 3-seed Texas Tech, 78-73, in Thursday’s West Regional Semifinal at Chase Center.
Freshman Paolo Banchero finished with 22 points for the Blue Devils (31-6), who closed the second half on a 12-5 run to advance to the Elite Eight for the 23rd time in program history. That run included three crucial baskets from sophomore Jeremy Roach, who posted 15 points, five assists and four rebounds in a sensational performance.
Duke held a five-point lead with just under two minutes to go, but Texas Tech (27-10) did not go quietly. Adonis Arms followed a Roach missed free throw with a quick dunk to cut the score to 73-70, and after Wendell Moore Jr., hit two at the charity stripe on the ensuing possession, Arms drilled a three from the wing to make it a two-point game. The Blue Devils were able to inbound the ball cleanly, getting it to freshman AJ Griffin, who calmly sank a pair of free throws to put it away with 12 ticks remaining.
Griffin netted 11 points, going 3-of-7 from the three-point line, while Moore added 12 – eight coming in the second half. Sophomore center Mark Williams finished 6-of-9 from the floor for 16 points and eight rebounds, but his biggest contribution came on the defensive end, where he blocked a Bryson Williams hook shot with 2:36 left to preserve a one-point Duke lead.
Bryson Williams led the Red Raiders with 21 points. Kevin McCullar recorded 17 on 7-of-13 shooting, and Kevin Obanor had a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double.
Texas Tech shot out to a 10-2 lead in the game’s opening six minutes, forcing Duke into three early turnovers before the first media timeout. The Blue Devils settled in, though, and answered with a 10-2 spurt of their own to knot it at 12. Duke finished the first half just 11-of-30 (.367) from the floor and trailed 33-29 at the break before shooting its highest field goal percentage in any half this season.
Thursday’s win marked the 100th career NCAA Tournament victory for Hall of Fame head coach Mike Kryzewski.
Duke will face No. 4-seeded Arkansas in the Elite Eight on Saturday at 8:49 p.m. ET on CBS.
