Written by Merrissa Vault
Washington, DC–The Madness continues! The Duke University Blue Devils are headed to the Elite 8 to face the Michigan State Spartans after beating the Virginia Tech Hokies 75-73 Friday night at Capital One Arena. If you like high flying alley-oops, blocks chased down from behind, and crafty ball handling then this was the game for you. RJ Barrett, Wabissa Bede, Ahmed Hill, Tre Jones and Zion Williamson showcased to the Washington, DC crowd why they are some of the most renowned student-athletes currently in the NCAA.
March Madness was in full effect as Williamson chased down shots and Hill slammed down alley-oops in attempt to keep their teams’ dancing streak alive. Duke’s Tre Jones led the Blue Devils in the first half with 12 points and 3 assists, while Zion Williamson trailed behind with 11 points and 4 rebounds. RJ Barret silently recorded 3 points but showcased his vision of the court with 7 assists. The majority of Duke’s success throughout the night came from in the paint, which they recorded 20 of their points in the first half.
Overshadowed as the #4 seed, the Virginia Tech Hokies introduced themselves to Capital One Arena and their hundreds of fans with a strong and dominant presence on the floor, led by Graduate student, Ahmed Hill. In the first half, Hill took charge leading the Hokies with 13 points and 5 rebounds. Not far behind was the Sophomore, Wabissa Bede with 10 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist. The Hokies stayed toe to toe with the Blue Devils forcing Duke into a scoring drought the last 3 minutes of the game. Constant ball movement from the Hokies was their strategy against a strong Duke defense which contributed to their 38-34 lead at the end of the first half.
The second half standout goes to none other than the Duke University Blue Devils. The Freshmen trio of RJ Barrett, Tre Jones and Zion Williamson came alive in the second half putting on a highlight reel. RJ Barrett had a total of 18 points, 4 rebounds and 11 assists. Barrett’s 11 assists tied the Duke record for assists in an NCAA Tournament game. The freshmen’s vision on the floor allowed for Tre Jones to open up and orchestrate play for the Blue Devils. Jones had a spectacular game recording 22 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists and 0 turnovers. One of the most notable plays of the night was a high soaring alley-oop from Tre Jones to Zion Williamson. That was just a clip of the show that Zion put on in Washington, DC. With 23 points, 6 rebounds and 1 assist, Zion now has more points through 3 games in the NCAA tournament than any freshman in NCAA history.
As Zion’s draft stock continues to rise so does Duke’s luck in the NCAA tournament. Once again, Duke found themselves up by one possession while under a minute. After three consecutive timeouts, Virginia Tech’s Justin Robinson was given the ball on the baseline. With 1.1 seconds on the clock and down by 2, the Hokies ran a perfectly designed play in which Robinson tossed the ball in to Ahmed Hill. Hill beat Zion on the run but missed the basket by what appears to be just inches from the rim, allowing Duke to escape another close call in the NCAA tournament and win 75-73.
“Hill kind of did a loop, and I’m not even going to lie to you, when he caught it, I said, ah, we ‘re about to go to overtime. I don’t know what happened. Like just kind of went our way with that play”
For the second consecutive game, the odds have turned in Coach K and Duke ‘s favor in the NCAA tournament. The Blue Devils will keep on dancing and will meet Michigan State in the Elite 8 on Sunday evening at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC.
