Duke is heading to the Final Four for the first time under coach Jon Scheyer after beating Alabama 85-65 in the Elite Eight on Saturday. The No. 1 seed Blue Devils put the clamps on the No. 2 seed Crimson Tide’s prolific offense while earning their 15th consecutive victory.
Just two days after draining an NCAA Tournament record 25 3-pointers in a Sweet 16 victory over BYU, Alabama hit just 8 of 32 from beyond the arc against the Blue Devils. Duke’s size and athleticism gave the Crimson Tide and their smaller contingent of guards fits.
The rim-protecting prowess of 7-foot-2 freshman center Khaman Maluach was particularly impactful for the Blue Devils, who led by at least seven for the second half. Maluach finished with just two blocks, but regularly impacted Alabama’s drives to the rim when Duke ran the Crimson Tide off the 3-point line.
With All-American guard Mark Sears struggling, the Crimson Tide could find no consistent source of offense. Sears finished 2 of 12 with six points and five turnovers. Kon Knueppel led Duke with 21 points while Cooper Flagg contributed 16 and Tyrese Proctor finished with 17. Maluach also made a huge impact offensively with 14 points on 6 of 7 shooting.
Quick hitters
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
