Duke Takes On Iona In The First Round Of The NCAA Tournament
Duke who is seeded second in the Midwest bracket and who is out of the Atlantic Coast Conference will take on fifteenth seed Iona in the first round of the NCAA Tournament who is out of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. .
Duke comes into the first round of the NCAA Tournament with a record of 26-7 "according to http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/150/duke-blue-devils and is coming off a loss at the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament in the semifinals against North Carolina.
Luke Maye scored 17 points, including North Carolina's last field goal with 5:33 remaining, and No. 12 North Carolina held off a late rally by No. 5 Duke to advance to the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship game with a 74-69 victory on Friday night."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211705180
The sixth-seeded Tar Heels (25-9) will face top-seeded and top-ranked Virginia on Saturday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn in a rematch of the 2016 ACC championship, won by North Carolina. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211705180
North Carolina led by 15 when Maye hit a jumper with 5:33 left and it looked as if it would cruise into the title game. But the Tar Heels went cold and second-seeded Duke went on a 13-0 run, drawing within three on Gray Trent Jr.'s 3 with 50 seconds left. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211705180
The Tar Heels turned the ball over on consecutive possessions, but an offensive foul by Grayson Allen and then a missed 3 by Allen, trying to draw contact on Maye, stymied Duke (26-7)."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211705180
Theo Pinson made two free throws with 3.2 seconds left to seal it and the Tar Heels snapped a six-game losing streak in the ACC Tournament to their most heated Tobacco Road rivals -- and they even the series in Brooklyn at 1 each. Duke beat the Tar Heels in Barclays last season. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211705180
Pinson had seven of North Carolina's 24 assists on 28 field goals as the Tar Heels cut up Duke's zone most of the night. Joel Berry II had 13 points and six assists and Kenny Williams had 10 and six. Maye rebounded from a 1-for-15 shooting performance in the quarterfinals against Miami to shoot 8 of 18 with 10 rebounds and four assists. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211705180
Marvin Bagley III followed up his 33-point, 17-rebound game against Notre Dame on Thursday with 19 points and 13 rebounds for Duke. Fellow freshmen Trent added 20 points and Wendell Carter Jr. had 14 points and nine rebounds. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211705180
BIG PICTURE
North Carolina: A night after Duke earned its 100th ACC Tournament victory, the Tar Heels did the same and put themselves in position to earn a 19th conference championship. That would leave them one behind Duke for the most. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211705180
Duke: The Blue Devils had six turnovers on their first 14 possessions and just one field goal in the first 10 minutes of the game. North Carolina led by as much as 13 points, before Bagley got going and scored eight points in the last 10 minutes. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211705180
Iona meanwhile comes into the NCAA Tournament as a fifteenth seed and has a record of 20-13 "according tohttp://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/314/iona-gaels and is coming off a win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship against Fairfield.
The Iona College men's basketball team used a strong second half run to capture a third straight and conference record 11th MAAC Championship title in program history by upending Fairfield 83-71 this evening at the Times Union Center. "according to http://www.icgaels.com/news/2018/3/5/mens-basketball-three-iona-mbb-claims-third-straight-and-11th-overall-maac-championship.aspx?path=mbball
After leading 43-37 at the halftime break, the Maroon & Gold (20-13) opened the second half on a 14-4 run to create a 16-point margin. The lead grew to as large as 20 points in the final period, enough of a lead to hold off a late Fairfield (17-16) rally."according to http://www.icgaels.com/news/2018/3/5/mens-basketball-three-iona-mbb-claims-third-straight-and-11th-overall-maac-championship.aspx?path=mbball
The Stags were able to cut the deficit to six points with a minute remaining, however, the Maroon & Gold went 6-for-6 from the free throw line while adding in a TK Edogi dunk to secure the win and automatic NCAA Tournament bid."according to http://www.icgaels.com/news/2018/3/5/mens-basketball-three-iona-mbb-claims-third-straight-and-11th-overall-maac-championship.aspx?path=mbball
Roland Griffin came off the bench to pour in a career-high 29 points that included 11-of-11 from the free throw line while also adding eight rebounds and four blocks in 31 minutes. Zach Lewis added 20 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals towards earning Championship Most Outstanding Player honors. Griffin and Schadrac Casimir joined him on the All-Championship team. "according to http://www.icgaels.com/news/2018/3/5/mens-basketball-three-iona-mbb-claims-third-straight-and-11th-overall-maac-championship.aspx?path=mbball
Iona becomes the first program to win three straight MAAC titles since Siena accomplished the feat from 2008-2010. The two teams join LaSalle (1988-1990) as the only team to win three straight championships."according to http://www.icgaels.com/news/2018/3/5/mens-basketball-three-iona-mbb-claims-third-straight-and-11th-overall-maac-championship.aspx?path=mbball
Additionally, with tonight's win, the Gaels mark a ninth straight season with 20 or more wins. It is the 22nd time in program history.
Fairfield in the MAAC Championship."according to http://www.icgaels.com/news/2018/3/5/mens-basketball-three-iona-mbb-claims-third-straight-and-11th-overall-maac-championship.aspx?path=mbball
Tip-off is set for 2:45 from PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. The game will be televised on CBS. "according to http://www.goduke.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=4200&SPID=1845&SPSID=22726