The 1-seed Duke Blue Devils bounced back in a big way after a big scare in the Round of 64, taking down 9-seed TCU 81-58 to advance to the program’s third straight Sweet Sixteen. This victory comes on the heels of a nail-biting 71-65 win over 16-seed Siena.
Duke was a little bit healthier against the Horned Frogs, having sophomore center Patrick Ngongba back in the lineup, who had been out since March 2 with foot soreness.
Early on, it looked like the Blue Devils would once again be on the ropes, with TCU keeping it close for the entirety of the first half. Duke entered the halftime locker room with a 38-34 lead, allowing the Horned Frogs to shoot 41.9% from the field in the first half and 5-of-13 (38.5%) from three.
Across the final 20 minutes, Duke looked back in prime form defensively, outscoring Jamie Dixon’s club 43-24 while limiting it to 26.3% shooting from the floor and 2-of-11 (18.2%) from the perimeter.
All season long, Duke has led with its defense. However, it was the offensive depth that showed in the win over TCU, and that consistency pays major dividends in the NCAA Tournament, especially through the latter weekends.
Duke Showcases Offensive Depth in Win Over TCU
National Player of the Year frontrunner Cameron Boozer once again led the way for the Blue Devils with a game-high 19 points to go along with 11 rebounds, four assists, and three steals. However, what the Blue Devils showed is that they don’t need to rely on Boozer’s scoring prowess to win big games…