The Duquesne family is partying like it’s 1969.
The 11th-seeded Dukes pulled off the first major upset of March Madness, defeating No. 6 BYU 71-67 and winning the tournament for the first time in 55 years. It was also the first time they had played in the tournament since winning the league in 1977. Crazy run to win the A-10.
It took the Cougars more than six minutes to make their first shot, but they turned a 12-2 deficit into a 20-19 lead with 7:26 left in the first half. However, Duquesne fought back 27-12 and led by 14 points early in the second half.
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Day Day Grant of the Duquesne Dukes reacts after playing against the Brigham Young Cougars in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at CHI Health Center on March 21, 2024 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
A few minutes earlier there had been a dispute over a loose ball which resulted in a double technical where the players had to be separated under the pile. And clearly, the Dukes were immediately motivated by that scrap.
But the Cougars turned it around. Despite missing their first six 3-pointers of the first half, they worked in the paint and went on a 19-6 run to cut the deficit to one point with 6:06 left. Both teams traded buckets for the next few minutes, with Duquesne holding a narrow lead. But BYU finally tied it at 60 with 1:47 left.
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Jimmy Clark III went to Duquesne’s line with 1:28 left and made two free throws, and after Husseini Traore missed the tying bucket, Clark was fouled on the layup. He only made 1 of 2, but the score was tied and the possession arrow was pointing to the Dukes.
After a timeout, Clark had a strong take to give Duquesne a five-point lead with 26 ticks left, scoring nine straight points for the Dukes.
Brigham Young Cougars center Darrin Hall walks during a timeout against the Duquesne Dukes on March 21, 2024 at CHI Health Center in Omaha. (Michael Reeves/Getty Images)
BYU’s Darin Hall’s 3 with 5.9 seconds left cut the lead to two points, but Duquesne got to the line and sank the final eight free throws to end the game.
Of course, it’s common for an 11 seed to beat a 6 seed. In fact, since 2010, the No. 11 seed has gone 28-25 in his first-round games.
However, the Cougars were a nine-point favorite entering this tournament, and the infamous KenPom rankings say the Cougars should have actually been a 5 seed.
Dede Grant led the Dukes with 19 points, including the final four from the charity stripe. Clark scored 11 points on the afternoon.
BYU’s Jackson Robinson came off the bench and scored 25 points, leading all players in the loss.
Duquesne Dukes’ Jimmy Clark III hits a ball near Brigham Young Cougars’ Darin Hall on March 21, 2024 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
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Duquesne will play the winner of No. 3 Illinois and No. 14 Morehead State on Saturday in Omaha.
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