Duke's Young Guns Rally Past FSU

0:00On March 13, Duke's top-seated basketball team fought back from a halftime deficit to edge out eighth-seated Florida State, 80-79 in. The ACC tournament quarterfinals at Charlotte Spectrum Center. Playing without Junior Garcayla Foster and sophomore center Patrick and Gongbao the second, the Blue Devils trailed 44-43 at the break, but never quit. The game stayed tight with plenty of lead changes early on. Duke missed several free throws in the first half, but sophomore Isaiah Evans lit it up with 22 points before halftime. In the second half, they trailed by five early, then sparked an A to nothing run to get within one. Freshman like Nicolas Kamania and Cameron Booser stepped up big off the bench and in the starting lineup, showing the team's death amid injuries. Fans saw a real grit from this young squad, proving they can rally in crunch time during tournament play. Evans finished with a career high at 32 points and 6 rebounds, while Booser added 23 points and 10 boards for a double-double.

1:02No other Duke player had double figures, but the effort kept them in control down the stretch. With a 30-win record now, Duke advances to Friday's semi-finals at 9.30 p.m. Eastern against the winner of Clemson and North Carolina. Coach John Cher hopes to have in Gongbao back soon for the NCAA tournament, while Foster's return looks slim before possible final war runs.