The Elite Eight is almost complete. Duke held on against St. John’s while Michigan pulled away from Alabama to join the winners of Thursday’s Sweet 16 games.
ESPN reporters are on-site to track all the action in UConn-Michigan State and Iowa State-Tennessee.
Jump to: How each game was decided
SWEET 16 LIVE TRACKER
SWEET 16 RECAPS
How Duke won: Duke heads to its third straight Elite Eight after a huge second half from three key players: Cameron Boozer, Isaiah Evans and Caleb Foster. Boozer started slowly, but he had 13 points and nine rebounds after halftime. Evans was terrific all game, scoring 25 points and hitting a massive step-back 3 to give Duke a 70-69 lead with 3:54 to go. Foster, who suffered a fracture in his foot just 20 days ago, was a game-changer in the second half, coming off the bench to go for 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting after halftime.
St. John’s took a 10-point lead early in the second half after a flurry of Duke turnovers, but Foster settled down the Blue Devils, and the Red Storm’s incredible 3-point shooting from the first half predictably cooled off. They went just 4-for-14 from 3 after making nine in the first half. — Jeff Borzello
How Michigan won: The Wolverines had the best overall player on the floor in Yaxel Lendeborg, and their overall backcourt depth leaned on Alabama after halftime. Lendeborg did it all, including catching and throwing lengthy outlet passes, finishing just three assists shy of a triple-double (23 points, 12 rebounds).
The Wolverines also received an early boost from freshman guard Trey McKenney, who had 12 of his 17 points in the first half, and benefitted from second-half surges from guards Elliot Cadeau (17 points) and Rodney Gayle Jr. (14). Michigan was much more efficient than Alabama from 3-point range, connecting on 13 of 27 attempts, and improved defensively as the game went along — that helped offset mostly shaky offensive performances from big men Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara.
When the Wolverines are hitting from range and Lendeborg is filling the stat sheet, they are almost impossible to beat. — Adam Rittenberg
