Newark, NJ
Kon Knueppel could joke about it as Thursday turned to Friday at the Prudential Center.
What had been a 19-point Duke lead over Arizona in the second half of their Sweet 16 matchup dwindled to as few as five in the game’s final minutes, before the Blue Devils hit their late free throw and strung together just enough stops to win 100-93.
A rare close game for a Duke team that outscored its ACC opponents by 21.7 per game during the regular season. Was this actually a blessing?
Knueppel deadpanned, saying no, he would have preferred the Blue Devils keep, and maybe build, that 19-point lead.
Instead, Duke showed steady, clutch play in the game’s final minutes, making 11 of 12 free throws over the final 2:10 to win in the NCAA Tournament East Regional semifinal.
That earned the Blue Devils (34-3) a date with Alabama on Saturday night, a showdown between the East Regional’s top two seeds with a trip to San Antonio for the Final Four on the line.
Arizona’s Anthony Dell’Orso (3) defends Duke forward Cooper Flagg (2) in the first half on Thursday, March 27, 2025 during the NCAA Sweet 16 at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com
Duke rolled to so many easy wins this season, compiling a 16-game winning streak from November to February and now owning a stretch of 14 wins in a row. A test had to come eventually.
But when Duke was up 70-51 over Arizona with 13:12 to play against Arizona, it sure didn’t look like that test would arrive until the weekend.
Wrong.
Caleb Love, on his way to scoring 35 points, had other ideas as he scored 15 consecutive Arizona points to fuel a comeback.
The Blue Devils, though, didn’t wilt.
“I thought our guys made some big-time winning plays,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “A lot of game pressure. They just wouldn’t go away, even with a 19-point lead. No lead really felt safe with them. I thought our guys hit some clutch free throws, made just enough plays. Obviously it was hard to get stops for anything in this game, but obviously that’s sometimes how it goes. I couldn’t be more proud.”
While only losing in narrow finishes to Kentucky, Kansas and Clemson this season, Duke had just five of its wins by fewer than 10 points. When the Blue Devils were up by 19 points as Thursday became Friday, it looked like so many other blowouts.
But this is the NCAA Tournament’s second weekend; close games were bound to find the Blue Devils eventually.
Sion James made Duke’s last field goal, a 3-pointer to boost the lead to 10 with 4:16 to play. A James turnover and a missed Tyrese Proctor 3-pointer on Duke’s next two possessions allowed Arizona to creep closer, at 89-83.
But with 2:42 to play, when Love rose to attempt yet another 3-pointer that could have made it a one-possession game, Maluach deflected it despite having four fouls at the time.
Duke’s Khaman Maluach (9) blocks the shot by Arizona’s Caleb Love (1) late in the second half of Duke’s 100-93 victory over Arizona in the Sweet 16 round of the 2025 Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., Thursday, March 27, 2025. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com
From there, Duke made 11 of 12 free throws over the final 2:10.
“In that second-half situation,” James said, “Stay together. Stay focused. Understand that we asked for this. We prepared for this moment. Nothing happened that we weren’t ready for.”
They weren’t ready for it with much game experience, but they showed their practice and study work prepped them nicely.
“I think we just really embody our coach,” Knueppel said. “He’s always poised. He’s always steady. So down the stretch, we’re like him.”
Duke’s Cooper Flagg (2) hugs head coach Jon Scheyer as time expires in Duke’s 100-93 victory over Arizona in the Sweet 16 round of the 2025 Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., Thursday, March 27, 2025. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com
With that, Duke moves forward to the Elite 8 for the third time in the past four NCAA Tournaments. In 2022, Duke advanced to the Final Four. Last season, N.C. State knocked out the Blue Devils.
To revisit James’ words, this is what Duke asked for. It’s what the Blue Devils were built to do.
Now, they’ve been tested and they passed.
More tests are coming. Duke looks ready.
