Particle.news

No. 3 Duke Tops No. 1 Michigan, 68–63, in Neutral-Site Showdown

The Blue Devils' neutral-site win dents Michigan's grip on the top overall seed previewed hours earlier.

Overview

  • Duke beat Michigan 68-63 at Capital One Arena, handing the Wolverines their second loss after the NCAA's bracket preview had listed Michigan as the No. 1 overall seed earlier in the day.
  • Michigan shot 6-for-24 from three and struggled after halftime, while point guard Elliot Cadeau was limited by a first-half arm issue and finished with eight points.
  • Foul trouble for Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr. disrupted Michigan’s rotation, with multiple outlets noting officiating questions that affected the Wolverines’ frontcourt minutes.
  • Duke controlled the boards 41-28 and posted an 18-11 edge in second-chance points, also outscoring Michigan 34-24 in the paint.
  • Yaxel Lendeborg led Michigan with 21 points and seven rebounds in a game that bolsters Duke’s resume and complicates the race for top-line NCAA tournament seeding.