What looked like an easy victory for the Duke Blue Devils turned into anything but at the end. However, the West Regional's number one seed still managed to hold on and advance to their 12th Sweet 16 in 14 years by defeating the Michigan Wolverines, 73-71.
The Blue Devils led by as many as 14 points in the second half, but Michigan made a furious comeback in the second half, pulling within two points. The Wolverines had a chance at a tie, but Darius Morris' attempt for the tie bounced off the back iron, and the Blue Devils survived.
Morris led the Wolverines with 16 in the losing effort, and Tim Hardaway, Jr. pitched in with 15 on the afternoon. For the Blue Devils, Nolan Smith had a monster game to lead all scorers with 24 points, while Kyle Singler scored 13 for Duke.
The Blue Devils will now move on to face Arizona in the Sweet 16 next weekend. The Wildcats won a wild one over the Texas Longhorns this afternoon to advance in their own West Regional Round of 32 game.
For the Wolverines, they finished strong to get into the tournament, and their season concludes with a record of 21-14. Congratulations to them on a successful season and a strong finish.