Dae Dae Grant scored 19 points, including four free throws in the final 10 seconds, and No. 11 seed Duquesne kept outgoing coach Keith Dambrot in business a little longer with a 71-67 victory against sixth-seeded BYU in the first round of the competition. the NCAA tournament on Thursday.
Jakub Necas added 12 points and Jimmy Clark III had 11 as the Atlantic 10 tournament champions celebrated their return to the dance after 47 years with their first win there since 1969. The Dukes (25-11) advanced to play against third-seeded Illinois or No. 14 seed Morehead State for a spot in the Sweet 16 on Saturday.
“They just don’t want me to retire,” Dambrot said. “I’m trying to get to the promised land, and they’re pushing me to keep coaching.”
The Cougars (23-11) trailed by as many as 14 in the second half before tying even as Fousseyni Traore, who had struggled all game, knocked down the second of back-to-back baskets to put the game at 60-all with 1:45 to go, but it was Duquesne who won.
“Break those braces, baby! Break those braces, baby!’ Clark bellowed as Duquesne walked back to the locker room.
Elsewhere on Thursday, Tyson Walker scored 19 points and Michigan State coach Tom Izzo picked up his 20th win in the first round of the NCAA tournament as his ninth-seeded Spartans defeated eighth-seeded Mississippi State 69-51.