SAN ANTONIO — The Duke Blue Devils suffered a stunning collapse in the national semifinal, losing to Houston, 70-67.
“We were all in on bringing banner number six back to Cameron,” said Sion James. “It hurts that we didn’t get the chance.”
Duke led for nearly 35 minutes of the game and had its largest lead of the game—14 points—with 8:17 to play. That’s when the Blue Devils seemed to implode, with a series of mistakes that allowed the Cougars to score 25 of the game’s final 33 points to pull out a dramatic win.
The Blue Devils had three freshmen in their starting lineup most of the season, but it was the veterans who seemed to allow Houston back into the game.
When Duke took its 14-point lead, Houston responded with an LJ Cryer three pointer. As the ball went through the hoop, Duke’s Mason Gillis, getting into position to rebound, hit Houston’s Joseph Tugler in the face with his elbow. The play was ruled a technical foul on Gillis, a graduate transfer who went to the Final Four with Purdue last year. It gave the Cougars free throws and possession, which resulted in a Cryer jump shot and a six-point Houston possession—all scored by Cryer. The play spurred a 10-0 Cougars run. Cryer finished with 26 points and hits 6-of-9 from three.
“I think there’s a few plays that change momentum,” said coach Jon Scheyer. “That’s not ideal. But still, we’re up six. I keep going back—we’re up six with under a minute to go. … I don’t look at one play at being the momentum swinger by any means.”
Perhaps looking to kill clock and protect their lead, the Blue Devils seemed less aggressive on offense down the stretch. Duke made just one field goal over the last 10 and a half minutes of the game, and players other than Cooper Flagg only attempted four shots over that stretch.
“Stay the course. Be us,” James said of the offensive game plan. “We knew they were going to tighten up on defense. We just had to execute. We didn’t.”
Duke also didn’t execute at the other end of the floor.
“It was more just defense,” Tyrese Proctor said. “We had a lead and if we just guard and don’t let them score, it’s gonna be hard for them to come back in the game.”
As Houston cut into the lead, the Cougars began pressing Duke full court, and the Blue Devils struggled to inbound the ball following Houston scores. Sion James, another Duke grad transfer, turned the ball over on an inbounds with 5:30 left, allowing Houston to cut Duke’s lead to four. James would have another turnover with 30 seconds left that allowed the Cougars to reduce Duke’s lead to a single point.
Junior Tyrese Proctor had a rough game, shooting just 2-of-8 from the floor and missing all four of his three-point attempts. His lost-ball turnover with 1:39 left allowed Houston to trim the lead to six points. He also missed the front end of a one-and-one at the free throw line with 20 seconds left and Duke holding a one-point lead. Flagg was whistled for a foul as players battled for the rebound, sending Houston to the line where J’Wan Roberts gave the Cougars their first lead since the 15:25 mark of the first half.
Even with all the ways Duke’s veterans let the Cougars back into the game, the Blue Devils still had a chance to hit a game winning shot, but Flagg’s short jumper missed the mark.
“I’ll take that every day,” said Scheyer. “Two (Flagg’s jersey number) with the ball in his hands from six feet away. It just didn’t go in.”
Flagg finished with 27 points, but he couldn’t add two more to that total with the game hanging in the balance.
“It’s the play coach drew up,” Flagg said. “Took it into the paint. Thought I got my feet set, rose up. Left it short obviously. A shot I’m willing to live with in the scenario. I went up on the rim, trust the work that I’ve put in.”
In the end, there were too many mistakes against a tough, veteran Houston team and Duke left it short.
“I think, sure, you can look to that (Gillis) play,” Scheyer said. “We fouled them in the bonus. There’s a bunch of plays. But end of the day, you’re winning, you have the ball, and we came up empty twice with a missed free throw and then a turnover. We just have to finish the deal.”
