Watch: Duke Survives in 77-76 Win Over UCF, Advances to Sweet 16
Duke was inches away from elimination in the NCAA tournament on Sunday, but the Blue Devils advanced to the Sweet 16 with 77-76 victory over UCF.
Zion Williamson finished with a game-high 32 points and 11 rebounds on Sunday. He brought the Blue Devils within one point on a layup over Tacko Fall, who was charged with his fifth foul on the play, with 14 seconds remaining. Williamson missed the free throw, but a rebound and layup from R.J. Barrett gave Duke a 77-76 victory.
UCF overcame a 44-36 halftime deficit to lead Duke in the final minutes. Junior Aubrey Dawkins––son of UCF head coach and former Blue Devils player and assistant Johnny Dawkins––poured in 32 points including five threes.
Sunday's matchup was billed as a battle between Williamson and UCF center Tacko Fall. The 7'6" big man was in foul trouble for much of the evening, but scored 15 points on 7 of 10 shooting. He put the Knights up 74-70 with a dunk late in the second half, but the slam was not enough to propel UCF to the Sweet 16.
Duke will face either Virginia Tech or Liberty in the Sweet 16. Mike Krzyzewski has reached the second weekend of the NCAA tournament in four of the last five seasons. He is searching for his first national championship since 2015.
