No. 1 seed Duke continued to live up to their hype as they held on for a 63-57 victory over No. 5 seed Utah, who fought back in the second half.
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The Blue Devils were able to put the game away with under a minute remaining as guard Quinn Cook, who rolled his ankle, persevered through the game and effectively sealed it with two free throws.
Utes guard Delon Wright made a layup with 15 seconds left to trim the Blue Devils’ lead to five, but Utah was unable to get back in it with a three-pointer.
Cook put the icing on the cake with a last-second free throw. Forward Justise Winslow led the way for the Blue Devils though as he scored 21 points while snagging 10 boards.
Center Jahlil Okafor stayed quiet offensively with six points, but he chipped in with seven rebounds.
Guard Brandon Taylor led Utah with 15 points but found himself in foul trouble before eventually committing that fateful fifth. Forward Jordan Loveridge struggled with five points on 2-for-12 shooting.
Duke will face Gonzaga in the Elite Eight as they continue to put last season’s first-round exit behind them.
Here are a few highlights from this overall suspenseful Sweet 16 matchup.
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