Put up your Dukes! No. 11 seed Duquesne provides some March Madness with NCAA upset of BYU
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) As his players celebrated around him after springing the first big upset of the NCAA Tournament, Duquesne coach Keith Dambrot joked that they had refused to let their retiring coach reach “the promised land” with their down-to-the-wire win over BYU.
The promised land is a better description for the second round of the NCAA tourney anyway.
Dae Dae Grant scored 19 points, including four clinching free throws in the final 10 seconds, and the No. 11 seed Dukes held on after blowing a 14-point lead in a 71-67 victory over the sixth-seeded Cougars on Thursday.
Jakub Necas added 12 points and Jimmy Clark III had 11 for the Atlantic 10 tourney champs, who won four games in four days there just to qualify for their first dance in 47 years, and now have their first win on the NCAA stage since 1969. The Dukes (25-11) will play third-seeded Illinois for a spot in the Sweet 16 on Saturday.
“I'm trying to retire,” the 65-year-old Dambrot said, “but if we keep winning games, they're going to make me an old man.”
The sweat-it-out ending Thursday would age any coach in a hurry.
The Cougars (23-11) trailed 46-32 in the second half before drawing even when Fousseyni Traore, who had struggled all game, slammed down the second of back-to-back baskets to knot the affair at 60-all with 1:45 to go.
Clark was fouled at the other end and made two free throws for Duquesne, and when Traore missed a floater, he got to the line again. Clark only made the first of two foul shots this time but helped tie up a loose ball after the second, and on the next play, the slick guard broke down the defense for a layup and a 65-60 lead with 26.9 seconds left.
Dallin Hall tried to give the Cougars a chance with four free throws and a deep 3-pointer in the final 20 seconds, but Grant - one of the nation's best foul shooters - was stoic from the line to help send the Dukes into the weekend.
"Bust them brackets, baby! Bust them brackets, baby!” Clark roared as Duquesne headed back to the locker room.
Jaxson Robinson had 25 points for the Cougars, who have lost five straight in the NCAA Tournament, the last four to double-digit seeds. Traore and Spencer Johnson added 11 points apiece, and Hall also finished with 11.
“Just a devastating day for us for sure,” BYU coach Mark Pope said, “and it's devastating because we lost, devastating because we won't move on, and most devastating because we won't get in the gym together again.”
Indeed, the Cougars were bloodied and bumming for most of the game.
Hall took a shot to the face that left him with tissues shoved up his bleeding nostrils in the first half. Richie Saunders got an elbow to the midsection that left him doubled over on the floor. Johnson even lost a shoe while playing defense, and the Dukes took advantage of the opening for a dunk that helped them build a big early lead.
“We made them work for everything they got,” Dambrot said.
Robinson, voted the top backup in the Big 12 this season, tried to keep the Cougars afloat with 12 first-half points, but Necas - a Czech freshman averaging 2.3 a game - countered with eight of his own to help Duquesne take a 38-30 lead at the break.
The pressure of the NCAA Tournament seemed to boil over in the opening minutes of the second half.
The Dukes' Fousseyni Drame got tied up with the Cougars' Noah Waterman on a rebound and both went to the floor, where they started to wrestle as official Pat Driscoll leaped between them. Driscoll was shaken up and both players got technical fouls, and that wound up foreshadowing a game that would be a fight all the way to the finish.
“It was a tough game. They’re super physical,” Dambrot said. "The biggest thing is our toughness was on display, and if you're a tough team both mentally and physically, you have a chance to win.”
UP NEXT
Duquesne lost in the first round of its past two NCAA Tournament appearances in 1971 and '77, making the win its first since there was still consolation games in 1969. Now, the Dukes will face Illinois for the first time since 1988, and try to give Dambrot a second NCAA tournament win. He had been 0-3 as the coach at Akron.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | David Dixon vs. Noah Waterman (Dukes gains possession) | |||
19:40 | +3 | Dae Dae Grant makes three point jump shot (Jimmy Clark III assists) | 3-0 | |
19:22 | Trevin Knell offensive foul | |||
19:22 | Trevin Knell turnover (offensive foul) | |||
19:03 | +2 | Fousseyni Drame makes two point layup (Jake DiMichele assists) | 5-0 | |
18:41 | Noah Waterman misses two point layup | |||
18:39 | Fousseyni Drame defensive rebound | |||
18:23 | Jimmy Clark III misses two point layup | |||
18:21 | Trevin Knell defensive rebound | |||
18:06 | David Dixon blocks Noah Waterman's two point layup | |||
18:04 | Fousseyni Drame defensive rebound | |||
17:55 | Dae Dae Grant misses three point jump shot | |||
17:53 | Spencer Johnson defensive rebound | |||
17:48 | Aly Khalifa misses three point jump shot | |||
17:46 | Fousseyni Drame defensive rebound | |||
17:38 | Jimmy Clark III misses three point jump shot | |||
17:36 | Spencer Johnson defensive rebound | |||
17:36 | Official timeout | |||
17:20 | Jaxson Robinson misses three point jump shot | |||
17:18 | Dukes defensive rebound | |||
17:02 | +2 | Jake DiMichele makes two point jump shot (Jimmy Clark III assists) | 7-0 | |
16:36 | Jaxson Robinson misses three point jump shot | |||
16:34 | Aly Khalifa offensive rebound | |||
16:31 | Fousseyni Drame personal foul (Aly Khalifa draws the foul) | |||
16:11 | Spencer Johnson turnover (bad pass) | |||
16:00 | Jimmy Clark III misses three point jump shot | |||
15:58 | Spencer Johnson defensive rebound | |||
15:52 | Richie Saunders misses two point layup | |||
15:50 | David Dixon defensive rebound | |||
15:41 | Jake DiMichele turnover (bad pass) | |||
15:41 | TV timeout | |||
15:25 | Spencer Johnson misses two point jump shot | |||
15:23 | Fousseyni Drame defensive rebound | |||
15:21 | Fousseyni Traore personal foul | |||
15:07 | +2 | Jimmy Clark III makes two point jump shot | 9-0 | |
14:52 | Fousseyni Drame shooting foul (Jaxson Robinson draws the foul) | |||
14:52 | +1 | Jaxson Robinson makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 9-1 | |
14:52 | +1 | Jaxson Robinson makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 9-2 | |
14:38 | Jake DiMichele misses two point layup | |||
14:38 | David Dixon offensive rebound | |||
14:38 | +2 | David Dixon makes two point layup | 11-2 | |
14:38 | Spencer Johnson shooting foul (David Dixon draws the foul) | |||
14:38 | +1 | David Dixon makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 12-2 | |
14:25 | David Dixon personal foul (Dallin Hall draws the foul) | |||
14:11 | Fousseyni Traore misses two point layup | |||
14:09 | Jakub Necas defensive rebound | |||
13:46 | Dae Dae Grant misses two point jump shot | |||
13:44 | Richie Saunders defensive rebound | |||
13:35 | +3 | Jaxson Robinson makes three point jump shot (Richie Saunders assists) | 12-5 | |
13:05 | +2 | David Dixon makes two point dunk (Dae Dae Grant assists) | 14-5 | |
12:47 | Jake DiMichele personal foul | |||
12:39 | Fousseyni Traore misses two point layup | |||
12:37 | Jakub Necas defensive rebound | |||
12:34 | Kareem Rozier turnover (bad pass) | |||
12:08 | Dallin Hall misses three point jump shot | |||
12:06 | Spencer Johnson offensive rebound | |||
11:59 | +2 | Richie Saunders makes two point jump shot (Spencer Johnson assists) | 14-7 | |
11:22 | +3 | Dae Dae Grant makes three point jump shot (Jakub Necas assists) | 17-7 | |
11:13 | Spencer Johnson misses three point jump shot | |||
11:11 | Richie Saunders offensive rebound | |||
11:10 | +3 | Jaxson Robinson makes three point jump shot (Richie Saunders assists) | 17-10 | |
10:35 | Dusan Mahorcic misses two point layup | |||
10:34 | Dukes offensive rebound | |||
10:33 | TV timeout | |||
10:32 | Jakub Necas misses three point jump shot | |||
10:31 | Dukes turnover (shot clock violation) | |||
10:16 | Jaxson Robinson turnover (lost ball) (Jimmy Clark III steals) | |||
9:57 | Dusan Mahorcic misses two point layup | |||
9:55 | Spencer Johnson defensive rebound | |||
9:46 | +3 | Spencer Johnson makes three point jump shot (Dallin Hall assists) | 17-13 | |
9:18 | Matus Hronsky misses two point jump shot | |||
9:16 | Fousseyni Traore defensive rebound | |||
9:06 | Jakub Necas blocks Richie Saunders's two point dunk | |||
9:04 | Matus Hronsky defensive rebound | |||
8:57 | +2 | Matus Hronsky makes two point layup | 19-13 | |
8:46 | Matus Hronsky personal foul | |||
8:37 | +2 | Trevin Knell makes two point jump shot (Dallin Hall assists) | 19-15 | |
8:14 | Jimmy Clark III misses two point layup | |||
8:12 | Aly Khalifa defensive rebound | |||
8:08 | Matus Hronsky shooting foul (Jaxson Robinson draws the foul) | |||
8:08 | +1 | Jaxson Robinson makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 19-16 | |
8:08 | +1 | Jaxson Robinson makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 19-17 | |
7:50 | David Dixon turnover (lost ball) (Noah Waterman steals) | |||
7:26 | +3 | Jaxson Robinson makes three point jump shot (Trevin Knell assists) | 19-20 | |
6:56 | +3 | Jake DiMichele makes three point jump shot | 22-20 | |
6:31 | Jakub Necas blocks Aly Khalifa's two point layup | |||
6:29 | Dae Dae Grant defensive rebound | |||
6:17 | +2 | Dae Dae Grant makes two point jump shot | 24-20 | |
6:06 | Cougars 30 second timeout | |||
5:43 | Trevin Knell misses three point jump shot | |||
5:41 | Noah Waterman personal foul (Jakub Necas draws the foul) | |||
5:41 | TV timeout | |||
5:24 | Dae Dae Grant misses three point jump shot | |||
5:22 | Trevin Knell personal foul | |||
5:11 | +2 | Dae Dae Grant makes two point layup | 26-20 | |
4:52 | Jimmy Clark III personal foul (Dallin Hall draws the foul) | |||
4:52 | Dallin Hall misses regular free throw 1 of 1 | |||
4:52 | Jakub Necas defensive rebound | |||
4:37 | Jake DiMichele misses three point jump shot | |||
4:35 | Spencer Johnson defensive rebound | |||
4:26 | Jakub Necas shooting foul (Fousseyni Traore draws the foul) | |||
4:26 | Fousseyni Traore misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
4:26 | +1 | Fousseyni Traore makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 26-21 | |
4:07 | +2 | Dae Dae Grant makes two point jump shot | 28-21 | |
3:50 | Richie Saunders turnover (bad pass) (Jimmy Clark III steals) | |||
3:44 | +3 | Jakub Necas makes three point jump shot (Jimmy Clark III assists) | 31-21 | |
3:24 | Jaxson Robinson misses three point jump shot | |||
3:22 | Spencer Johnson offensive rebound | |||
3:16 | Spencer Johnson turnover (bad pass) (Jimmy Clark III steals) | |||
3:13 | Dae Dae Grant misses three point jump shot | |||
3:11 | Richie Saunders personal foul | |||
3:11 | TV timeout | |||
2:53 | Aly Khalifa blocks Jimmy Clark III's two point layup | |||
2:51 | Dusan Mahorcic offensive rebound | |||
2:50 | +2 | Dusan Mahorcic makes two point layup | 33-21 | |
2:28 | +3 | Noah Waterman makes three point jump shot | 33-24 | |
2:25 | Jimmy Clark III personal foul (Spencer Johnson draws the foul) | |||
2:25 | +1 | Spencer Johnson makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 33-25 | |
2:25 | +1 | Spencer Johnson makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 33-26 | |
2:14 | Dusan Mahorcic turnover (bad pass) (Dallin Hall steals) | |||
2:05 | +2 | Dallin Hall makes two point layup | 33-28 | |
1:51 | Kareem Rozier misses three point jump shot | |||
1:49 | Spencer Johnson defensive rebound | |||
1:43 | Aly Khalifa misses three point jump shot | |||
1:41 | Jake DiMichele defensive rebound | |||
1:34 | Dukes 30 second timeout | |||
1:34 | Official timeout | |||
1:19 | Jakub Necas misses two point jump shot | |||
1:17 | Noah Waterman defensive rebound | |||
0:59 | +2 | Spencer Johnson makes two point layup | 33-30 | |
0:44 | +3 | Jakub Necas makes three point jump shot (David Dixon assists) | 36-30 | |
0:27 | Aly Khalifa turnover (bad pass) (Kareem Rozier steals) | |||
0:19 | +2 | Jakub Necas makes two point layup (Kareem Rozier assists) | 38-30 | |
0:03 | Aly Khalifa misses three point jump shot | |||
0:01 | Dae Dae Grant defensive rebound | |||
0:00 | End of period |