New Orleans. The distinguished career of the Duke manager, Mike Krzyzewskicame to an exciting and sudden end on Saturday night after Caleb Love hit a key 3-pointer and three late free throws to lead archrivals the University of North Carolina to a thrilling 81-77 victory over the Blue Devils.
This was the 258th meeting, and perhaps the most important of all, between these teams, whose arenas are separated by a mere 11 miles on Tobacco Road.
The Tar Heels (29-9), of all teams, handed the 368th loss, and the last, to 75-year-old Coach K, exactly four weeks after crashing the farewell party in his final home game in the Cameron Indoor Stadium.
That loss hurt. It cut off the last gasp of the coach’s aspirations to go to a title game and even a chance to win his sixth championship. When it was over, after playing the stretch with no time required, Krzyzewski calmly walked to midcourt and shook hands with Carolina rookie coach Hubert Davis.
On Monday, Carolina will play Kansas for the title. The Jayhawks beat Villanova 81-65 earlier on the undercard.
ochai agbaji He was nearly perfect shooting from the field and had 21 points for the Jayhawks, who were on fire at the rim and have returned to the college finals for the first time since 2012.
Christian Braun had 10 points, including three on a key shot that stopped a late comeback attempt. Kansas (33-6) had some revenge for what happened four years ago, when the Wildcats beat them in San Antonio.
On Monday night, the Jayhawks hope to do the same, continuing a curious pattern that should give them confidence.
In the last three times the Jayhawks and Wildcats have met in the tournament, the winner has ended up cutting the basket nets to celebrate the coronation.
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The Tar Heels ruined Coach K’s farewell by eliminating Duke