NCAA roundup: No. 1 Duke barely holds off UCF

[March 25, 2019]  RJ Barrett scored off a rebound with 12 seconds remaining, and Duke made a final defensive stand to pull out a 77-76 victory against Central Florida in the NCAA Tournament's East Region second round Sunday in Columbia, S.C.

Central Florida's BJ Taylor missed a runner in the final seconds, and a tip-in attempt by Aubrey Dawkins barely rolled off, allowing top-seeded Duke to advance. Duke (31-5) will meet Virginia Tech on Friday night in the Sweet 16 in Washington, D.C.

Taylor made two free throws with 45.2 seconds to play for a 76-73 lead for ninth-seeded UCF (24-9).

After Zion Williamson missed a 3-pointer, Javin DeLaurier grabbed the offensive rebound. Williamson drove for a layup and was fouled with 14.4 seconds left, with UCF 7-foot-6 center Tacko Fall fouling out on the play. Williamson missed a chance for a three-point play by leaving the free throw short, but Barrett rebounded and laid it in to put Duke ahead.

EAST REGION

No. 4 Virginia Tech 67, No. 12 Liberty 58

Post player Kerry Blackshear Jr. scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Hokies over the Flames in San Jose, Calif.

Blackshear's work inside helped offset the early hot shooting of the Flames (29-7), who went cold in the second half, going almost seven minutes without a basket until Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz's 3-pointer brought Liberty within 59-54 with 2:24 left.

Virginia Tech (26-8) set a school record for victories.

SOUTH REGION

No. 2 Tennessee 83, No. 10 Iowa 77

Junior power forward Grant Williams scored six of his 19 points in overtime as the Volunteers blew a 25-point lead before posting a victory over Iowa at Columbus, Ohio.

Senior guard Admiral Schofield also scored 19 points for the Volunteers (31-5). Junior guard Lamonte Turner scored 15 points and junior point guard Jordan Bone added 14 for Tennessee, which never trailed.

Junior guard Jordan Bohannon scored 18 points and junior guard Isaiah Moss added 16 for the 10th-seeded Hawkeyes (23-12). Sophomore forward Luka Garza tallied 13 points and junior power forward Tyler Cook and freshman guard Joe Wieskamp added 11 apiece for Iowa, which shot 39 percent from the field and went 7 of 21 from 3-point range.

No. 1 Virginia 63, No. 9 Oklahoma 51

The Cavaliers advanced to their third Sweet 16 in six seasons with a win over the Sooners at Columbia, S.C.

Mamadi Diakite got the start for the Cavaliers (31-3) and provided a spark with a game-high 14 points and nine rebounds. Despite a 2-for-15 shooting performance from junior Kyle Guy, the Cavaliers got 12 points from Ty Jerome and 10 from De'Andre Hunter to make up for the lack of scoring.

Duke Blue Devils forward RJ Barrett (5) drives in for a shot around UCF Knights guard Aubrey Dawkins (15) during the second half in the second round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

Oklahoma (20-14) shot just 37 percent and was led by Christian James, who scored 13 points and pulled down five rebounds in his final game with the Sooners.

MIDWEST REGION

No. 1 North Carolina 81, No. 9 Washington 59

Luke Maye poured in 20 points as the Tar Heels defeated the Huskies in Columbus, Ohio.

The Tar Heels (29-6) were in control for most of the game, with freshmen Nassir Little's 20 points and Coby White's 17 points also providing a lift. North Carolina will face fifth-seeded Auburn in the Sweet 16 on Friday night in Kansas City, Mo.

Jaylen Nowell scored 12 points, while Noah Dickerson and Nahziah Carter each posted 10 points for Washington (27-9), which was hurt by 4-for-10 shooting on free throws.

WEST REGION

No. 3 Texas Tech 78, No. 6 Buffalo 58

Sophomore guard Jarrett Culver recorded 16 points and 10 rebounds as the Red Raiders crushed the Bulls at Tulsa, Okla.

Senior center Norense Odiase added 14 points and a career-best 15 rebounds for Texas Tech (28-6), which will face second-seeded Michigan in the Sweet 16 in Anaheim, Calif., on Thursday. Senior guard Matt Mooney and sophomore guard Davide Moretti had 11 points apiece and senior forward Tariq Owens had 10 points and seven rebounds for the Red Raiders.

Senior forward Nick Perkins registered 17 points and 10 rebounds off the bench for Buffalo (32-4), which scored its fewest points of the season. Senior guard CJ Massinburg added 14 points and junior guard Davonta Jordan had 13.

--Field Level Media

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