Kinda funny that two schools 🏫 separated by roughly 9 miles have to travel down to Birmingham to play against one another. But that will be the case when the Blue Devils and Tar Heels meet on Friday at 2:30 pm.
The winner 🏆moves on to face South Carolina on Sunday, baring an upset of the Gamecocks. Maybe we can petition to have the starting five from both the Heels and the Devils face USC???
Both North Carolina State and Notre Dame also advanced, giving our league four teams. The SEC ended up with six Women’s teams to go with their seven Men’s teams .
The good news is that the games should improve dramatically in regards to the level of competitive. All four 1’s, 2’s and 3’s made it, along with two fours and two fives.
Noon Tip Time for the Blue Devils split double header. Ladies and Kara Lawson are ready to host the #10 seed Oregon Ducks after they used overtime to sneak by #7 Vanderbilt on Friday night 🌙.
Duke played 40 minutes of suffocating defense Friday while holding Lehigh to just 25 points in their first round victory. That tied the second fewest points ever allowed in a Tournament game and Southern California matched it yesterday afternoon by holding UNC-G to the same total.
Duke is one of six ACC teams that will look to play in the Sweet 16 next weekend. Here’s to pulling for all six!
Let’s Dance 💃
To honor Mr Bill Gallimore, let’s see 👀 about capturing the opening jump ball.
Bill would be Proud !
Lin’s version
1st Media TO – Ducks 7-2 @ 4:42 (1).
End of 1st – Oregon 12, Duke 9
Oregon is led by a 6’8 Canadian
Ducks Big is BIG
2nd quarter Media TO – 4:50, Oregon 22-15 as Ducks are winning the battle on both ends of the court so far.
Duke cuts ✂️ a nine point deficit down to five at the break, 28-23. Oregon is shooting 50% from the floor while Duke is at 36%.
Blue Devils look great when attacking the basket 🧺 but the jump shots have been off target.
15:00 on the Clock ⏰ for intermission.
Duke’s talented Canadian Freshman Toby Fournier is not in the building, to the best of my knowledge. The 6’2 played well on Friday night 🌙, best guess is that she is ill .
Duke is missing her for sure and her 441 points scored, but there’s 20 minutes left to play.
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Duke opens the third quarter with an 8-0 run all scored by #3, Ashlon Jackson. OU calls 📞 a TO at 7:05 with Duke leading 31-28.
Media TO – 4:40 (3), Duke leads 36-29 after a 13-1 start to the quarter. Looks like the UNC third quarter yesterday when the Lady Heels 👠 went 30-9 on the Beavers.
Deja Kelly has dropped nine quick points for Oregon, to go with her nine from the first half. Ducks within 45-40 after being behind by 10.
End of 3rd at 1:27 pm. Duke 45-40
Meanwhile, over in Raleigh…
Dan Hurley is still chasing his 3-peat
Last Media TO – 4:57 left and Duke leads 49-48 and we should be in for a great finish.. Both teams have 29 points from their two leading players!
Oregon TO – 3:19, Duke 53-50
5-1 run 🏃♂️, uo 58-51 @ 1:12
1:00 – Duke TO with ball and 5 point lead
OU TO 0:44.7, same score.
TO Duke at 0:28.6, 58-53, clock ⏰ added to 0:30.5
Oregon TO at 0:29.2 after Duke is called for an offensive foul. Long time for 30 seconds to come off the clock ⏰
2:07 – Duke Wins !!!
2:32 – Game #1 ends in Raleigh as Florida wins by 2.
3:05 – Duke tips versus Baylor
1st Media TO – 15:48, Duke 7-6
Coop gets poked in his right eye 👁
Media TO – 11:35, Duke 15-13
3,461 was the announced crowd back at Cameron. Not to bad, considering the conflict with both games.
Media TO – 7:39, Baylor up 24-23.
Duke Women will await the winner 🏆 of #3 UNC and #6 West Virginia
Under 4:00 at 3:57 – Duke 33-27 after a 10-0 run 🏃♂️.
Baylor TO at 1:58, Duke 40-30 after hitting six straight FG.
Halftime score – Duke 47-30, closed half on 24-6 run 🏃♂️. Men trying to join the Women in the Sweet 16 – 4:10 pm
*** Notre Dame Women give the ACC a second team in the Sweet 16 with four more shots later today and tomorrow.
4:30 – Second Half
Under 16 TO – 55/40
Under 12 at 11:18, 63-48. Baylor up 18-16 in second half.
Under 8:00 at 7:51 – Duke 70-51
5:07 – under 4;00 TO, 79-58
Final minute, 89-66 at 5:17 (F). Proctor goes 9 of 10 with 7 3-pointers !!!
Day 1 had a 9,10,11 and 12 advance but its difficult to call a 9 over an 8 an upset.
25-7 is the two day tally and each of the Top 16 seeds are still in place. The very definition of Chalk.
The only true glaring issue is that for the first time in 50 years, the Atlantic Coast Conference is already down to just one team after Clemson (5), Louisville (8) and North Carolina (11) have each been eliminated.
The S.E.C went 8-6 with their record 14 teams in the tournament. Ole Miss took care of UNC in the only head to head match-up.
2-3 versus 8-6 is only separated by 1.5 games but 8-1 looks pretty bleak.
Big 10 only received 8 bids but they set a new record with 8-0 !
Getting to hang out with Slick Watts while we both watched his Son, Donald Watts back when he played at the University of Washington. Watts was such a joy to hang out with back then and now has a grandson playing College hoops out West.
Xavier of New Orleans was the starting point and then it was the Los Angeles Lakers and the Seattle Super Sonics. Watts was always the life of any party and had a kind word for anyone that crossed his path.
Watts started his own business to stay busy once his National Basketball Association 🏀 career ended but always found time to be courtside at Hec Ed when Donald and the Huskies were playing.
Quick recap :
SEATTLE — Donald “Slick” Watts, a fan favorite for the SuperSonics and later a beloved teacher and coach in Seattle, has died. He was 73. Watts’ son Donald, who played for Washington, announced his father’s death Saturday on social media, writing: “You did so much for so many of us.
The road less traveled ! 