Duke overtakes No. 1 seed Houston to make Elite Eight after Cougars’ star Jamal Shead leaves with ankle injury

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DALLAS — On one side of the floor inside the American Airlines Center late Friday night, there was jubilation. Duke players high-fived each other with grins ear to ear after the No. 4 seed Blue Devils defeated No. 1 seed Houston in a 54-51 stunner to advance to their 24th Elite Eight in program history. One Duke staff member dished out a hearty chest bump to overpower Jared McCain in celebration.

On the other side of the floor, there was heartache. Houston guard Emanuel Sharp crouched to his knees at midcourt as the game — and his season — came to an abrupt and unexpected end. Cougars guard LJ Cryer’s hands drooped past his knees with his head hung. Then there was fellow teammate Jamal Shead, who injured his ankle with 6:38 remaining in the first half and was unable to return, sitting despondent on the bench with his head stuffed between his arms and powerless to watch as the clocked hit zeroes after Duke’s game-clinching inbounds. 

One team has to win every game. One team has to lose. That is how basketball works. But in Duke’s first Sweet 16 win of the Jon Scheyer era, winning with Shead on the sideline was a cruel twist of fate that served as a miserable subplot to an otherwise brilliant back-and-forth between two elite teams.

“Obviously he’s a great player,” said Duke guard Jeremy Roach, who scored all 14 of his points with Shead sidelined. “He’s the heart and soul of the team.”

Shead’s injury-prompted sidelining spurred a 13-6 run for Duke to close the first half and Houston, just minutes after the injury and surrendering the lead, never led thereafter. He was seen on a stabilization scooter at halftime and underwent testing, which revealed a Grade 4 sprain. 

“I doubt any team in America has — maybe (Zach) Edey from Purdue — that means as much to their team as Jamal means to this team,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. “There’s just not another Jamal. He was the best player on…

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Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/duke-overtakes-no-1-seed-houston-to-make-elite-eight-after-cougars-star-jamal-shead-leaves-with-ankle-injury/

Author : Kyle Boone

Publish date : 2024-03-30 07:00:21

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