Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

March Madness: Duke holds off Texas, advances to Sweet 16
By Stephen Allan
The Duke Chronicle, Duke
March 23, 2009

GREENSBORO - Head coach Mike Krzyzewski said Thursday evening that a Duke-Texas matchup didn't sound like a second-round NCAA Tournament showdown. On Saturday at the Greensboro Coliseum, his words proved prophetic, as the last minutes delved into the type of pandemonium that has come to define March Madness.

A 10-point lead erased. A clutch tip-in followed by a critical fifth foul. A potential game-changing 3-pointer for Texas that rimmed in, around and out of the net with less than 40 seconds left. A freshman missing free throws that would have sealed the game.

And that was just the warm-up to a defining play by an overlooked senior that finally, for the first time since 2006, propelled Duke into the Sweet 16.

Dave McClure tipped Elliot Williams' miss with less than 11 seconds left into the open court, allowing Gerald Henderson to hit the deck and snag the loose ball. When Henderson nailed both his free throws after the Longhorns fouled him, No. 2 Duke (30-6) finally secured a 74-69 victory over No. 7 Texas (23-12), setting up a matchup with No. 3 Villanova Thursday in Boston.

"That was a big-time man's game," Krzyzewski said. "I love my team immensely, and I'm happy for them, especially after beating such a good team."

Never was the game more of the physical, scrappy sort than during the final 1:40, as Duke's players embodied their coach's mantra to hustle, to not give up on any play and to find a way to win no matter how gritty and ugly the process was.

Henderson, who only shot 7-of-21 from the field but converted 10-of-13 free throws for a team-high 24 points, started the stretch by hitting back iron on a jumper from the corner. But Kyle Singler, playing with four fouls, soared over everyone and, stretching out horizontally, tipped the ball in to give Duke a two-point lead.

Moments later, though, Singler picked up a fifth foul, and the crowd of Texas and North Carolina supporters roared, sensing opportunity as arguably the Blue Devils' most efficient offensive player of the game took a seat with 1:07 remaining. Texas forward Gary Johnson stepped to the line and calmly sank both of his free throws to tie the game and ignite eardrum-shattering cheers from the burnt orange and powder blue faithful.

On the ensuing possession, Henderson again took the shot, and again, the junior missed-but the shortest Duke player on the floor, Nolan Smith, soared above everyone else and drew a foul on an attempted putback with 47 seconds to go.

Smith, who finished with 11 points, three assists and only one turnover, kept on his postseason hot streak as he coolly swished both free throws to give the Blue Devils a 71-69 edge.

"His emergence last weekend and in these two games was kind of the catalyst for us winning," Krzyzewski said. "All things remaining the same, if we don't have Nolan, we're not going to win. He seemed so comfortable with what he's doing."

In response, the Longhorns rushed down the court and Damion James unleashed a 3-point attempt from the right baseline that looked good in the air. If it had fallen, Texas would have had its first lead since early in the first half, with all the momentum in the world and a deafening crowd on its side.

The shot rattled around the rim, appearing to settle in at one point before finally popping out. Williams went up strong for the ball and dished to Henderson, who was immediately fouled. Henderson sank 1-of-2 free throws with 30 seconds remaining to move the score to 72-69 and ensure that at the very least, the Longhorns wouldn't win the game on the next possession.

Taking control after Henderson's free throw miss, A.J. Abrams, the long-range bomber who was held in check to just 5-of-13 shooting, missed a runner. James got the offensive rebound and missed the putback. He got the offensive rebound again, but this time, Jon Scheyer was ready, knocking the ball out of his hands.

The ball bounced toward the Texas bench, and with reckless abandon, the junior captain dove for the ball and, behind his back with his left hand, hurled it high into the air toward Duke's basket.

"To be honest, I was just trying to get it out of there," Scheyer said. "I couldn't tell you I was positive where it was going. But I wanted to give one of our guys a chance to make a play."

Williams did just that, winning the footrace with Johnson and drawing a foul in the hustle for the ball. A 46 percent free throw shooter, Williams missed both of his attempts, but all that did was set up the a quintessential McClure hustle play to cap one of the best games Duke has played this entire season.

It looked as if none of the great plays would be needed with 7:09 remaining, when Singler nailed two free throws to push the Blue Devils' lead to double digits. But then Varez Ward, who Krzyzewski said had a "hell of a half" containing Henderson and driving to the bucket, scored on three straight possessions to draw the lead back down to two and set up the final 1:40.

The victory means the Blue Devils will now face Villanova in the Sweet 16 next Thursday at 9:57 p.m. in Boston. The Wildcats are coming off a less intense contest in which they smashed UCLA 89-69.

On a night when its best player shot 33 percent from the field, its second-best player fouled out with the game still in doubt and a freshman missed game-icing free throws, though, it took the mettle and tenacity of the entire team to get Krzyzewski back into the second weekend of March Madness.

"Everybody on the court did something really well after Kyle fouled out," Krzyzewski said. "I've been part of a bunch of championships, ACCs, Final Fours, a national championship. But to do it with this group feels great."

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