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Butler makes it to first final, while Duke rolls
By Jeremy Harness April 3, 2010 |
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After a few years of playing Cinderella during the NCAA Tournament, Butler has shown throughout this season that they are for real, and that it has outgrown that red slipper. The Bulldogs held off Michigan State in the final seconds of Saturday’s semifinal game in Indianapolis, 52-50, to advance to their first-ever national championship game, which is only six miles away from their campus. Talk about home cooking. In beating the Spartans, Butler won its 25th straight game, which is the longest streak in the school’s history as well as that of the Horizon League. The Bulldogs were led by sophomore swingman Gordon Hayward, who scored 19 points while shooting 6-of-14 from the field to go along with nine rebounds, including the board that sealed the win after Korie Lucious intentionally missed the second free throw of a one-in-one in an attempt to get one last shot to tie the game. Shelvin Mack chipped in with 14 points and made five of his nine shots from the floor, but he was sidelined for much of the second half with leg cramps, and Butler coach Brad Stevens didn’t know how much he would play Monday – if at all. Guard Durrell Summers led Michigan State with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Lucious and Draymond Green each had 12 for the Spartans. In the late game, meanwhile, Duke didn’t have any problems with West Virginia, moving on to the title game with a dominating 78-57 win over the Mountaineers. For the Blue Devils, the night was carried by the three guys who have done it for them all season long. Jon Scheyer poured in 23 points while going 7-of-13 from the floor as well as handing out six assists, while Kyle Singler scored 21 with nine rebounds and five assists and Nolan Smith added 19 points and six assists. More than anything, Duke used the three-ball to knock off West Virginia. The Blue Devils knocked down 13 of their 25 shots from beyond the arc, while the Mountaineers made only five of their 12 3-point baskets. |
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