(APRIL 5, 2010)
A 3-pointer by Duke’s Kyle Singler missed and the ball went out off of Brian Zoubek with 33.7 seconds left.
After Butler worked the ball around, it was deflected out of bounds by Duke with 13 seconds left.
Howard inbounded to Hayward, who went up for a fadeaway jumper that hit off the rim with about 7 seconds left. Duke’s Brian Zoubek corralled his game-high 11th rebound and was fouled with 3.6 seconds remaining.
He made the first and missed the second before Hayward’s heave bounced off the rim at the buzzer.
Duke’s big three showed up big as always. Singler, Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith, who have made up the bulk of Duke’s scoring all season, each scored in double figures.
Glenbrook North’s Scheyer played in his final game for the Blue Devils, scoring 15.
Singler led the Blue Devils with 19 on 7-of-13 shooting and added nine rebounds.
Butler’s players always talk about team effort and they needed it more than ever on Monday night.
Hayward, the team’s best known and most talented offensive player, started out shooting just 2 of 7 in the first half and attempted only one shot in the first 15 minutes of the second half.
He received some more encouragement from the already pro-Butler crowd, in the Bulldogs’ hometown. He was fouled hard under the basket by Duke’s Lance Thomas with 5:07 remaining and connected on both free throws to cut Duke’s five-point lead to 56-55.
Much like it did in its victory against Michigan State, Butler went a long stretch without making a field goal in the second half.
Earlier, Duke used a 7-0 run to build a 26-20 lead with 5:08 remaining in the first half after Butler had built a 20-18 lead.