UNC had a chance to take the lead in the final seconds, trailing by one with two free throws. But the first missed and the second was waved off for a lane violation, paving the way for the Duke victory.
Beyond that, there were plenty of other noteworthy games. All top seeds in their respective conference tournaments advanced, with Duke joining Auburn (SEC), Michigan State (Big Ten), Houston (Big 12) and St. John’s (Big East). All those teams are potentially still in play for No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament.
The Tigers are somehow still alive late in the ACC semis after trailing by 11 with under 2 minutes left in the game. They’re now down 2 with 30 seconds left. What a furious rally to make this a game.
Final: Alabama 99, Kentucky 70
The Crimson Tide left no doubt in this one, giving Kentucky its worst loss of the season. Five different Alabama players scored 13 or more points in the win.
The Tide advance to the SEC semis and will face Florida.
Final: Arizona 86, Texas Tech 80
It was the Caleb Love show again for the Wildcats. The star guard finished 10-for-15 from the floor (5-for-8 from deep) and led all scorers with 27 points.
Arizona will take on top-seeded Houston for the Big 12 title on Saturday.
Final: Boise State 72, New Mexico 69
Boise State was firmly on the bubble coming into the MWC semifinal and the Broncos might’ve just earned a bid with that close win over the Lobos. A tourney title and an automatic bid would take the guesswork out of it.
Ugly end to Creighton-UConn
UConn was content just letting the clock run out in its loss, but Creighton’s Jamiya Neal had other ideas, throwing down a nasty dunk and hanging on the rim. UConn’s Hassan Diarra took exception and shoved him.
UConn trailing late
The Huskies are down 6 with just a minute left in the game, but they’re still fighting.
Louisville in control vs. Clemson
Meanwhile, in the ACC tourney, Louisville has opened up a healthy lead of its own in the second half against Clemson. It’s a defensive battle and the Cardinals are up double digits with just over 12 minutes left. The winner of that game will play top-ranked Duke on Saturday night.
Caleb Love is feeling it
The Arizona star started the second half just like he did the first: Drilling 3-pointers. He has two more in the first few minutes (23 points total) and the Wildcats are up double digits on Texas Tech.
Huskies teasing a comeback
Creighton is still leading in the second half of the Big East semifinal, but UConn isn’t going quietly. The Huskies are on a 12-0 run and back in the game.
Halftime: Arizona 47, Texas Tech 39
Caleb Love has been the focal point as usual for the Wildcats so far. He’s 6-for-8 from the field in the first half (including 3-for-4 from deep) and has 17 points. Most of that was in the first 7 minutes of the game.
Michigan pulling away early in second half
The Wolverines are on a tear coming out of the break and have opened up a double-digit lead on Purdue. The winner of this game will play Maryland on Saturday.
Cooper Flagg won’t play in ACC title game Saturday
Duke coach Jon Scheyer said after the Blue Devils’ win that Flagg will miss the ACC tournament title game.
Jon Scheyer told reporters postgame that Duke’s Cooper Flagg (ankle) will not play in Saturday’s ACC Tournament title game. https://t.co/zApKQWPgGX
The Red Raiders have surged into the lead midway through the first half against Arizona. They’re one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country and they’re 5-for-7 from behind the arc so far. Christian Anderson has two of them.
UK-Alabama trading blows early
The SEC quarterfinal between the Wildcats and Crimson Tide has started off with a blistering pace and both teams are shooting the ball well. It’s tied up at 14-14 at the first TV timeout.
Arizona-Texas Tech underway in Big 12 semis
The Wildcats are off to a hot start in Kansas City. If this is the first Big 12 game you’ve watched, you may be confused as to what you’re looking at. Here’s Jeff Eisenberg on the curious court choice made by Brett Yormark and Co. for the conference tournament:
Click the photo to read the story. (Scott Winters/Getty Images)
Creighton takes early lead on UConn
Dan Hurley’s Huskies had a bit of a slow start on Thursday against Villanova and it looks like they’re starting the Big East semifinal against Creighton in similar fashion. The Bluejays are out to an early lead.
FINAL: Duke 74, UNC 71
An off-balance desperation shot clanks wide and Duke will advance by the skin of its teeth, and the sole of Jae’Lyn Withers’ sneaker. What a bizarre ending to a great comeback.
Kneuppel makes both, but UNC gets the ball into Duke territory and calls a timeout with 2.5 seconds left. Tar Heels aren’t dead yet, but they have to avoid a foul.
UNC fouls Kon Kneuppel, Duke’s best FT shooter, with 2.8 seconds left.
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