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Cameron
Boozer
stepped
confidently
into a
late 3
that
pushed
Duke’s
lead to
six. The
shot
felt
inevitable.
The
arena
erupted.
Michigan
never
fully
recovered.
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Zachary
Taft-Imagn
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No. 1
Michigan
Basketball
falls
short to
No. 3
Duke in
primetime
battle.
Forward
Yaxel
Lendeborg:
21
points
(game-high),
7
rebounds,
3
assists.
© Getty
Images |
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Duke
Edges
No. 1
Michigan
in "Duel
in the
District"
Thriller
Bunky
McFadden
- Sports
Tell Us
USA News
Network
WASHINGTON,
D.C. -
In a
clash of
titans
that
lived up
to its
Final
Four-preview
billing,
the No.
3 Duke
Blue
Devils
handed
the
top-ranked
Michigan
Wolverines
their
first
loss in
over a
month,
grinding
out a
68-63
victory
Saturday
night at
a
sold-out
Capital
One
Arena.
The loss
snapped
an
11-game
winning
streak
for
Dusty
May’s
Wolverines
(25-2),
who had
just
ascended
to the
No. 1
spot in
the AP
Poll
earlier
this
week.
The game
was a
defensive
slugfest,
particularly
in a
second
half
that saw
Michigan
struggle
to find
the
bottom
of the
net. The
Wolverines,
who
entered
the
contest
averaging
over 90
points
per
game,
were
held to
a
season-low
63
points.
Duke’s
Cameron
Boozer
proved
why he
is a
National
Player
of the
Year
frontrunner.
He
finished
with 18
points,
10
rebounds,
and 7
assists,
including
a
pivotal
three-pointer
with
1:55
remaining
that
extended
Duke's
lead to
64-58.
Michigan
was led
by Yaxel
Lendeborg,
who
finished
with a
game-high
21
points.
His
late-game
surge
brought
Michigan
within
one
point at
57-56
with
under
four
minutes
to play,
but the
Wolverines
could
never
reclaim
the
lead.
Michigan’s
offense
stalled
after
halftime,
shooting
just
8-of-28
from the
field in
the
final 20
minutes.
The
difference-maker
was
Duke’s
dominance
on the
glass.
The Blue
Devils
out-rebounded
Michigan
41-28,
leading
to 18
second-chance
points.
Patrick
Ngongba
II
provided
the
final
dagger
by
securing
a
massive
offensive
rebound
with 51
seconds
left,
leading
to free
throws
that put
the game
out of
reach.
The
victory
likely
propels
Duke to
the No.
1 spot
in
Monday’s
rankings,
especially
after
No. 2
Houston
also
fell
earlier
on
Saturday.
"Our
defense
really
set the
tone in
the
second
half,"
Duke
coach
Jon
Scheyer
said.
"Holding
a team
that
talented
to eight
field
goals in
a half
is a
testament
to our
grit."
Michigan
will
look to
bounce
back on
Tuesday
when
they
return
to Big
Ten play
against
Minnesota
in Ann
Arbor.
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