Duke Blue Devils outlast Texas Tech as Mike Krzyzewski returns to Elite Eight

SAN FRANCISCO — Toward the end of Duke's 78-73 win over Texas Tech on Thursday night in the Sweet 16, the Blue Devils fans who'd swarmed the Chase Center were suddenly unsure if they were witnessing the continuation of a career or the end of one.

In a competitive game that featured 11 ties and 13 lead changes, the fans realized they might be watching the final minutes of Mike Krzyzewski's tenure, with Duke battling a team that entered the night with the nation's top defense.

But Krzyzewski listened to his players late in the game when they told him it was time to go back to a man-to-man defense after a zone had disrupted Texas Tech's flow in the second half. His trust in them helped the program secure a trip to the Elite Eight and a matchup against Arkansas.

«It was like a Catholic boys' choir,» Krzyzewski said about his players' collective call for the second-half tweak. «It was a chorus. They all said it. They all said it, and they said it with enthusiasm: 'We want to do this. We want to go man.' God bless them. What a great group, these kids. They've grown up so much in the last 12 days. It's such a joy. It's an amazing thing.»

The change seemed to confuse the Red Raiders, and, more important, it helped Duke regain its confidence. With the win, Duke extended Krzyzewski's final season with key decisions and clutch plays down the stretch.

Late in the second half, Duke freshman Paolo Banchero (22 points) countered Texas Tech guard Kevin McCullar's 3-pointer with a shot from beyond the arc that gave Duke a 69-68 lead with 2:57 seconds to play. Jeremy Roach (15 points, five assists) made clutch plays, including consecutive jumpers to extend the Blue Devils' lead in the final minutes, and kept the energy going when he