Gonzaga’s Kyle Wiltjer looks to drive on Duke’s Amile Jefferson Sunday in their Elite Eight game. (Getty)
Final Score
Duke 31 – 35 — 66
Gonzaga 26 – 26 — 52
And then there were four.
Duke got 16 points apiece from Matt Jones and Justice Winslow to clinch the last spot in the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four with a 66-52 win over Gonzaga on Sunday in the South Regional.
The top-seeded Blue Devils will face Michigan State next Saturday, April 4, in Indianapolis for a spot in the National Championship. The Spartans beat Louisville earlier Sunday to win the East Region.
Duke (33-4) trailed by 4 with a little over 16 minutes left in the game before Justice and Jones took over. Justice scored 11 of his points and Jones made two key 3-pointers as the Blue Devils held the ‘Zags without a basket for the final 6:40.
Quinn Cook added 5 free throws down the stretch as Duke made 16 of 19 for the game. Cook finished with 10 points. Tyus Jones had 15 points and 6 assists.
Kyle Wiltjer led the No. 2 seed Bulldogs (35-3) with 16 points, but had just 3 of them in the second half.
The Blue Devils turned the ball over just 3 times and forced 13 Gonzaga miscues.
Click here for a complete boxscore.
Live Game Updates
Second Half Notes & Stats
– Gonzaga went without a field goal for the final 6:40 of the game
– Justice Winslow scored 7 straight points to give Duke a 60-51 lead with 2:42 left
– With 3:38 left, Duke had committed just 2 turnovers the entire game; Gonzaga had 11
– With 11:34 remaining, Duke used a 9-0 run to take a 43-38 lead
– At the first official timeout of the half, Gonzaga was 5 of 7 from the floor
– Duke used a quick timeout after Gonzaga tied the game at 31 with 18:37 left in the game
First Half Notes & Stats
– FG Shooting: Duke 11 for 30 (36.7 percent); Gonzaga 11 for 26 (42.3)
– 3-Point Shooting: Duke 4 for 10 (40 percent); Gonzaga 1 for 2 (50)
– FT Shooting: Duke 5 for 5; Gonzaga 3 for 3
– Rebounds: Duke 16 (5 offensive); Gonzaga 19 (4 offensive)
– Assists: Duke 7; Gonzaga 6
– Steals/Blocks: Duke 4/2; Gonzaga 0/3
– Turnovers/Fouls: Duke 1/6; Gonzaga 6/7
– Gonzaga used a 14-4 run to cut the Duke lead to 1 with under 4 minutes left
– At the 7:57 mark, both teams had 10 rebounds and 4 fouls
– With 11:46 left, had committed 3 turnovers and hadn’t attempted a 3-point shot
– At the second official timeout, Duke was 8 for 15 from the floor (4 of 7 on 3s) and had 0 turnovers
Leading Scorers & Stats
Duke
Justice Winslow – 16 points, 5 rebounds
Matt Jones – 16 points
Tyus Jones – 15 points, 6 assists
Quinn Cook – 10 points
Jahlil Okafor – 9 points, 8 rebounds
Gonzaga
Kyle Wiltjer – 16 points, 5 rebounds
Byron Wesley – 10 points, 5 rebounds
Domantas Sabonis – 9 points, 4 rebounds
Live Game Tweets
McDonald’s All-Americans: Duke (65) vs Gonzaga (2)
Kyle Wiltjer and Domantas Sabonis have combined for 20 of Gonzaga’s first 26 points so far vs Duke
Crazy Stat of Day: Duke will face Gonzaga in Elite 8. Bulldogs are 0-6 all-time against 1-seeds in NCAA Tournament.
Preview: Duke & Gonzaga Tangle For a Spot in the Final Four
Gonzaga is looking to accomplish a program first in 2015. Duke is hoping to make this year another chapter in its storied history.
When the teams meet Sunday in the NCAA Tournament South Regional final, the Bulldogs can clinch their first Final Four appearance in school history.
The Blue Devils have been to the Final Four three times this century and 15 times total. The most recent visit came in 2010, when they won it all for their fourth NCAA title.
Top-seeded Duke (32-4) is in its 20th regional final and is the slight favorite in Sunday’s game. No. 2 Gonzaga (35-2) is in the Elite Eight for the first time since 1999, when the Bulldogs burst onto the March Madness scene with a Cinderella run.
The ‘Zags have been in the tournament every year since.
Keep it here for live updates throughout the game.
