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.
BLUE DEVILS AREN'T DONE YET 😈
(2) Duke holds off (3) Texas Tech, 78-73, to advance to the #Elite8! #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/u9OBOqrDYZ
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 25, 2022
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.
Recap of Duke vs. Texas Tech pic.twitter.com/S4XEqN7wpo
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 25, 2022
This Duke-Texas Tech game pic.twitter.com/QnJFHPZbVS
— br_betting (@br_betting) March 25, 2022
Duke survives a scare from Texas Tech to advance to the Elite 8! #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/Xks6pGrCq4
— Stadium (@Stadium) March 25, 2022
https://twitter.com/ColinCowherd/status/1507203819393888260
This Duke Tech game is on 🔥!!! Imagine not loving the Tournament??????
— John Jastremski (@john_jastremski) March 25, 2022
Duke avoiding elimination #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/TrItr2LHr2
— DARIUS A. (@IAMDARIUSALFORD) March 25, 2022
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.
71 percent from the field in the 2nd half….Let’s go Duke. What a game.
— Jay Williams (@RealJayWilliams) March 25, 2022
Duke did not miss a shot attempt in the final 8:55 of the game.
— Bryan Ives (@awaytoworthy) March 25, 2022
“Duke did not a miss shot from the field in the last seven and a half minutes.” That’s wild.
— Chris Herring (@Herring_NBA) March 25, 2022
The win was also a milestone for Coach K. It was his 100th NCAA Tournament victory, adding to his record.
Win No. 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ in the NCAA Tournament for Coach K #MarchMadness @DukeMBB pic.twitter.com/D5cAw2klM1
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) March 25, 2022
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.
100 NCAA Tournament wins for Mike Krzyzewski.
Love him or hate him, that is just amazing.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) March 25, 2022
I don’t like Duke but I do like and respect Coach K. 100 tournament wins is absolutely incredible, The definition of greatness
— Matt 🫎🐅 (@ProcessPhilly) March 25, 2022
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.
