Mar 24, 2022; San Francisco, CA, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Mark Williams (15) dunks over Texas Tech Red Raiders forward Marcus Santos-Silva (14) during the second half in the semifinals of the West regional of the men’s college basketball NCAA Tournament at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
NCAABy Michael Dixon on

It seemed for much of Thursday night’s NCAA Tournament game that Texas Tech would defeat Duke and end the career of Mike Krzyzewski — but it was not meant to be.

The Blue Devils trailed for most of the Sweet 16 game but stayed within striking distance. In the final minutes, they made their run and pulled away with a 78-73 win.

It was a hard-fought game. And while it might have been stressful for anyone with a rooting interest in either squad, it was a lot of fun for pretty much everyone else. College basketball fans and media members on Twitter reflected that feeling in the game’s final minutes and when the final buzzer sounded.

https://twitter.com/ColinCowherd/status/1507203819393888260

So, what made the difference in the game? Quite simply, Duke’s shooting. The Blue Devils rarely missed throughout the second half of the game. And in the final minutes, it wasn’t even rarely.

The win was also a milestone for Coach K. It was his 100th NCAA Tournament victory, adding to his record.

The next closest coach is Coach K’s former rival at the University of North Carolina, Roy Williams — who has 77. For some perspective on how significant that is, let’s imagine that Duke will lose its next game and Krzyzewski will finish his career with 100 NCAA Tournament wins. Now let’s also imagine that Williams comes out of retirement and wins the next three NCAA Tournaments, with his team having to play in the First Four every year. He would still be two wins short of Coach K.

Coach K and the Blue Devils will not have much time to celebrate their win. On Saturday, they’ll vie for the West Region Championship against No. 4 Arkansas, who defeated Gonzaga earlier on Thursday.

That will be a rematch of the 1994 NCAA Championship Game, which the Razorbacks won to claim their first (and to date, only) National Championship.

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