Duke advances with 63-57 win over Utah

HOUSTON — Duke answered a challenge from Utah with a little grittiness on the defensive end and a lot of freshman forward Justise Winslow on offense.

Winslow scored a game-high 21 points as top-seeded Duke outlasted fifth-seeded Utah 63-57 on Friday night in an NCAA South Regional semifinal game at NRG Stadium.

Duke guard Tyus Jones scored 15 points, including making nine of 10 free throws, and guard Quinn Cook pitched in 11. Duke center Jahlil Okafor, the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year, was limited to six points on 3-of-6 shooting.

Utah guard Brandon Taylor scored 15 points to lead the Utes, center Dallin Bachynski added 11, and Jakob Poeltl and guard Delon Wright each had 10.

Winslow, the son of Houston Cougar Phi Slama Jama alum Rickie Winslow, celebrated his 19th birthday on Thursday, then went to work leading the Blue Devils’ charge in his hometown.

When Utah began to gain some offensive momentum in the second half, Winslow was there to answer with back-to-back 3-pointers.

When the Utes cut Duke’s 15-point lead to six, Winslow punched back with a three-point play that broke a Utah run and re-established a nine-point edge.

So Winslow will be rewarded with another game in his hometown. Duke (32-4) advances to face Gonzaga in the South Regional final on Sunday.

Utah (26-9) couldn’t overcome 35-percent shooting from the field and 15 turnovers that resulted in 16 Duke points.

The Blue Devils built a 15-point lead with an 8-0 run midway through the second half.

Blue Devils forward Amile Jefferson highlighted the run with a dunk on an assist from Jones that caused Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski to pump both fists and prompted Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak to call timeout.

The Utes fought back by scoring nine straight points, including a pair of baskets each from Taylor and Poeltl, to cut the Duke lead to 49-43.

But Winslow’s three-point play kept Utah from creating a bigger wave of momentum and catching the Blue Devils.

The Blue Devils led for most of the first half. Duke used an 8-0 run late in the first half to open a double-digit lead when Okafor went to the basket for a layup with 3:04 left.

The Blue Devils began clamping down defensively during the surge, causing four Utah turnovers, including a 10-second backcourt violation.

The Utes struggled offensively, shooting 30 percent from the field in the first half, a problem made worse by their nine first-half turnovers.

However, Bachynski stopped Duke’s run and changed the momentum for the final three minutes of the half. Bachynski made an inside jumper while being fouled by Okafor and completed the three-point play to cut the Blue Devils’ lead to 27-20 at halftime.

Bachynski was the only double-digit scorer for either team in the first half with 11 points.

The Blue Devils didn’t score in the final three minutes of the half and saw their lead shrink to five points at the break.

NOTES: Duke’s 24 appearances in the Sweet 16 are tied with Kentucky for the second most all time, behind North Carolina with 26. … Despite Utah’s prominence among college basketball programs and its 17 NCAA Tournament appearances since 1980, Friday was the Utes’ first matchup with Duke during the Krzyzewski era. … Utah defeated Duke 78-75 in the last meeting between the programs in the 1970 NIT. … Duke defeated Utah 79-77 in the consolation game of the 1966 NCAA Tournament. Texas Western defeated Kentucky in the championship game that year in a game featured in the 2006 film “Glory Road.”

———————————————————————-