Duke's Zion Show off to a good start
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Zion Williamson had an explosive NCAA Tournament debut with 25 points and a can't-miss second-half showcase to lead top-seeded Duke to an 85-62 win over North Dakota State on Friday night.
RJ Barrett led Duke with 26 points and 14 rebounds and combined with Williamson for a prolific showing for the freshmen stars. But it was Williamson who could not be contained in the second half and he turned a tight early contest into a Duke runaway in the first round of the East Region.
Duke led just 31-27 at halftime but Williamson took over after the break. He opened the half by driving on two defenders for a layup that drew a foul. He missed the free throw but Williamson answered with a monster slam.
The highlight, though, came moments later on Williamsson's breathtaking dribble-behind-his-backafter-chasing-down-hisown-steal layup.
The 6-foot-7, 285-pound freshman outran 5- foot- 11 190-pound Vinnie Shahid of North Dakota State for the ball after he tipped it for a steal. Williamson then dribbled behind his back, briefly losing and regaining his balance with a hand on the floor. That cleared room for Williamson to get to the lane and go up and under for a layup. Just like that, the Blue Devils were up 40-27 and cruising.
The Bison ( 19- 16) never recovered.
Caleb Homesley scored 22 of his 30 points in the second half and Lovell Cabbil hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:16 to play to send 12th-seeded Liberty to its first NCAA Tournament win in school history. The Flames (29-6) were making their fourth tournament trip in school history, but lost twice as a No. 16 seed and once in the play-in game. This year's team had more respect, a higher seeding and capitalized on the opportunity. Homesley helped rally Liberty from a 10-point deficit in the second half by scoring 14 points in a span of less than five minutes.