Duke battles past Houston to reach 1st Elite Eight under Scheyer

DALLAS (AP) — Kyle Filipowski had 16 points and nine rebounds, and Duke advanced to the Elite Eight with a 54-51 win over top-seeded Houston, which played the final 26 minutes Friday night without All-America point guard Jamal Shead after he turned his right ankle.

Even with Shead on the bench, the fourth-seeded Blue Devils had to overcome a physical defense that has been one of the best in the country all season. They won despite a season low in points, and advanced to the South Region final against an Atlantic Coast Conference rival, No. 11 seed North Carolina State, for a spot in the Final Four.

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 (27-8) just two weeks ago in the ACC Tournament.

Shead left the game 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 past the Houston bench and to the locker room after getting tended to by an athletic trainer. He sat on the bench throughout the second half, and limped off the court after the Cougars (32-5) became the second No. 1 seed knocked out — a night after North Carolina lost to Alabama.

When Shead exited, the Blue Devils trailed 16-10. They took their first lead when Tyrese Proctor made two free throws to make it 21-20 with 2:46 left in the first half — and they never trailed again, even after L.J. Cryer banked in a short floater at the buzzer to get Houston within 23-21.

Duke never led by more than six points, and Houston still had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds. Emanuel Sharp’s tough 3-point try over Proctor was no good. There was only 0.8 seconds left on the clock when Cougars guard Mylik Wilson was out of bounds on the floor when trying to get the rebound.

Long-range makes

Duke has made a 3-pointer in 1,224 consecutive games, which is the nation’s second-longest active streak. UNLV’s run of 1,227 games making a long-range shot is on hold until next season. The Runnin’ Rebels made five 3s in their season-ending NIT loss Wednesday night.

Up next

Duke is going to its 24th Elite Eight, matching Kansas for the third-most times getting that far in March Madness — trailing Kentucky (38) and North Carolina (29).

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