MIDWEST REGION

Blue Devils tromp Rams with Bagley

The Duke team celebrates as time runs down during the second half as they defeat Rhode Island in a second-round game in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 17, 2018, in Pittsburgh. Duke won 87-62. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
The Duke team celebrates as time runs down during the second half as they defeat Rhode Island in a second-round game in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 17, 2018, in Pittsburgh. Duke won 87-62. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

DUKE 87, RHODE ISLAND 62

PITTSBURGH -- The same message comes from Mike Krzyzewski almost daily. While the Hall of Fame Duke coach makes an effort to mix it up when talking to his ridiculously young and ridiculously loaded team, the theme never changes.

This moment in the NCAA Tournament is precious. Don't take it for granted. Especially if it turns out to be the only one you'll get.

Marvin Bagley III and the rest of his potentially one-and-done teammates appear to be all ears. The Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year poured in 22 points to go with 9 rebounds and the second-seeded Blue Devils overwhelmed seventh-seeded Rhode Island 87-62 on Saturday to earn the program's 26th trip to the Sweet 16.

"After seeing these last couple games, these last few days of basketball, seeing what can happen, we have an idea that this tournament anything can happen," Bagley said. "We can't look ahead. We've got to worry about now."

And the rest of the field might need to start worrying about the Blue Devils (28-7), who will play in a Midwest Regional semifinal in Omaha, Neb., on Friday. Duke shot 57 percent (29 of 51) from the floor, finished with 20 assists and never let the Rams (26-8) in it following a 23-5 burst midway through the first half.

E.C. Matthews led Rhode Island with 21 points but the Rams looked confounded at times by Duke's much improved zone defense. A weakness during a mini-swoon in late January, the Blue Devils are no longer treating defense like a chore they're forced to complete before getting the ball back in their hands.

"They played and looked like an NBA team out there," Rhode Island Coach Danny Hurley said.

Pretty much. Of course, the coach is pretty good too. The victory was the 1,099th of Krzyzewski's career, breaking a tie with late Tennessee women's coach Pat Summitt for the most wins by a basketball coach in NCAA history.

"It's an honor because she was a pioneer in her sport," Krzyzewski said, adding "someone will have more eventually."

Maybe but not for a while.

Krzyzewski's relationship with Hurley dates back to when Krzyzewski recruited Dan's older brother Bobby to Duke 30 years ago. Krzyzewski praised the Hurley family for their love of the "dignity of work," an ethos that has helped Dan turn the Rams into a force in the Atlantic 10.

Work ethic is one thing. Talent is another. The Rams have plenty of the former and a fair amount of the latter. When the rapidly maturing Blue Devils are as fully engaged as they were on Saturday, they have a staggering amount of both. The proof came in a clinically efficient opening half in which Duke picked the Rams a part and quashed any chance of an upset

If Grayson Allen, Gary Trent Jr. or Trevon Duval weren't knocking down three-pointers then they were getting the ball inside to Bagley or Carter, the program's "other" potential lottery pick who is dealing with an achy Achilles.

Though Carter winced at least once while trying to set up on the block, when Carter had the ball in his hands, the grimace disappeared. He scored nine of Duke's first 11 points to establish the Blue Devils' dominance in the paint and when the backcourt got going, the Rams simply couldn't keep pace.

"They have the inside game, the three-point game and then the length of that zone was really -- it had us -- we were just spooked," Hurley said.

A Duval three-pointer gave Duke a 45-28 lead at halftime. As the Rams came out for the second half, junior guard Will Leviton went over to a section of Rhode Island fans and urged them to "get up, I still need you! It's still a game."

Not really.

Two Bagley dunks shortly after intermission pushed Duke's advantage to more than 20 and the Blue Devils were on their way to Omaha.

KANSAS 83, SETON HALL 79

WICHITA, Kan. — Malik Newman scored 28 points, Udoka Azubuike stood toe-to-toe with Seton Hall’s bruising Angel Delgado, and No. 1 seed Kansas held off the plucky Pirates to send the Jayhawks to their third consecutive Sweet 16.

Svi Mykhailiuk added 16 points and Lagerald Vick had 13 for the Jayhawks (29-7), who converted on every crucial play down the stretch to advance to the semifinals of the Midwest Region.

They’ll take on the winner of today’s game between Auburn and Clemson in Omaha, Neb.

Delgado finished with 24 points and 23 rebounds in a virtuoso effort for the No. 8 seed Pirates (22-11), who snapped a four-game NCAA Tournament skid in the opening round.

WEST REGION

Gonzaga rallies to win

BOISE, Idaho — Zach Norvell Jr. had 28 points and Rui Hachimura added 25 to help Gonzaga stay in touch, then pull away from Ohio State for a 90-84 victory that puts the Bulldogs two victories away from a repeat trip to the Final Four.

Norvell made a three-pointer to trim Ohio State’s biggest lead of five down to two with 6:56 left. He then had an assist, a three-pointer and two free throws as part of a 16-2 run that put the Zags ahead by nine with less than two minutes left.

The redshirt freshman, who made the go-ahead three late in Gonzaga’s victory over North Carolina-Greensboro on Thursday, finished with 28 points and 12 rebounds, both career bests.

The fourth-seeded Bulldogs are in the Sweet 16 for the fourth consecutive year. They’ll play Xavier or Florida State next Thursday in the West Region semifinals in Los Angeles.

Keita Bates-Diop led Ohio State with 28 points.

MICHIGAN 64, HOUSTON 63

WICHITA, Kan. — Freshman guard Jordan Poole squared up and drained a long three-pointer at the buzzer, giving No. 3 seed Michigan a heart-stopping victory over No. 6 seed Houston.

Devin Davis had a chance to seal the victory for the Cougars, but he missed a pair of foul shots with 3.6 seconds left. The Wolverines (30-7) called timeout to set up a final play, and Muhammad-Ali Abdur Rahkman found Poole on the wing, and the youngster’s shot hit nothing but net.

The officials reviewed it to make sure, but Poole had clearly gotten the shot away.

Abdur-Rahkman and Moe Wagner scored 12 points apiece to lead Michigan, but it was the unheralded freshman who stole the show. His flair for the dramatic sent Coach John Beilein’s team to Los Angeles for a West Regional semifinal against North Carolina or Texas A&M this week.

At a glance

NCAA TOURNAMENT SECOND ROUND SCHEDULE

TODAY'S GAMES

All times Central

EAST REGIONAL

Little Caesars Arena, Detroit

Purdue (29-6) vs. Butler (21-13), 11:10 a.m.

Viejas Arena, San Diego

Marshall (25-10) vs. W. Virginia (25-10), 8:45 p.m.

South Regional

Spectrum Center, Charlotte, N.C.

UMBC (25-10) vs. Kansas State (23-11), 7 p.m.

Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tenn.

Cincinnati (31-4) vs. Nevada (28-7), 5:10 p.m.

Midwest Regional

Little Caesars Arena, Detroit

Michigan St. (30-4) vs. Syracuse (22-13), 1:45 p.m.

Viejas Arena, San Diego

Auburn (26-7) vs. Clemson (24-9), 6:10 p.m.

West Regional

Spectrum Center, Charlotte, N.C.

North Carolina (26-10) vs. Texas A&M (21-12), 4:15 p.m.

Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tenn.

Xavier (29-5) vs. Florida State (21-11), 7:45 p.m.

Sports on 03/18/2018

Upcoming Events