Duquesne scores first win since ’69
As his players celebrated around him after the first big upset of the NCAA tournament, Duquesne coach Keith Dambrot joked that they had refused to let their retiring coach reach “the promised land” with their down-to-the-wire win over No. 21 Brigham Young.
The promised land is a better description for the second round anyway.
Dae Dae Grant scored 19 points, including four clinching free throws in the final 10 seconds, and the No. 11 seed Dukes held on after blowing a 14-point lead in a 71-67 victory over the sixth-seeded Cougars on Thursday.
The Atlantic 10 tournament champions won four games in four days there just to qualify for their first dance in 47 years, and now have their first win on the NCAA stage since 1969. The Dukes (25-11) will play thirdseeded Illinois for a spot in the Sweet 16 on Saturday.
“I’m trying to retire,” the 65-year-old Dambrot said, “but if we keep winning games, they’re going to make me an old man.”
The sweat-it-out ending Thursday would age any coach in a hurry.
The Cougars (23-11) trailed 46-32 in the second half before drawing even when Fousseyni Traore, who had struggled all game, slammed down the second of back-to-back baskets to knot the affair with 1:45 to go.
Jimmy Clark III was fouled at the other end and made two free throws for Duquesne, and after Traore missed a floater, Clark got to the line again. He made only the first of two foul shots but helped tie up a loose ball after the second, and on the next play, the slick guard broke down the defense for a layup and a 65-60 lead with 26.9 seconds left.
Dallin Hall tried to give the Cougars a chance with four free throws and a deep three in the final 20 seconds, but Grant, one of the nation’s best foul shooters, was stoic from the line.
Jaxson Robinson had 25 points for the Cougars, who have lost five straight in the tournament, the last four to double-digit seeds.
“Just a devastating day for us for sure,” BYU coach Mark Pope said, “and it’s devastating because we lost, devastating because we won’t move on, and most devastating because we won’t get in the gym together again.”
No. 10 Illinois 85, Morehead State 69: Marcus Domask posted the tournament’s first triple-double since 2019 and Terrence Shannon scored 26 points, lifting the No. 3-seed Illini.
West
Michigan State 69, Mississippi State 51: Tyson Walker scored 19 points and the ninth-seeded Spartans improved to 20-6 in March Madness openers under coach Tom Izzo, making his 26th consecutive tournament appearance — an NCAA Division I record for a coach at one school.
No. 5 North Carolina 90, Wagner 62: Armando Bacot had 20 points and 15 rebounds, and the top-seeded Tar Heels advanced to face Michigan State.
Dayton 63, Nevada 60: DaRon Holmes II and seventh-seeded Dayton closed with a 24-4 run to erase a 17point deficit.
Midwest
Oregon 87, No. 16 South Carolina 73: Jermaine Couisnard scored a careerhigh 40 points to haunt his former school as the 11thseeded Pac-12 tournament champions advanced to face No. 11 Creighton.
No. 11 Creighton 77, Akron 60: Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 23 points for the Bluejays. Akron center Enrique Freeman recorded his 31st double-double, tying Hall of Famer David Robinson’s NCAA record for most in a season.
Notes
Three-time Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year Elizabeth Kitley will miss the women’s tournament after she sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament in Virginia Tech’s final regular-season game. ... Duke freshman guard Caleb Foster was ruled out of the tournament because of an ankle injury. ... Florida coach Todd Golden signed a twoyear contract extension.