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College basketball: March Madness 2005
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For the record, 66 goes to Coach K
Associated Press
Published March 21, 2005
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The celebration was muted, emotions kept in check. Never mind that Mike Krzyzewski had just passed Dean Smith for the most wins in NCAA tournament history with a victory that moved Duke into the round of 16.
The tears will come only when this unlikely team plays its final game.
The top-seeded Blue Devils assured themselves of at least one more game by defeating Mississippi State 63-55 in the second round on Sunday.
"Coaches don't win games, players do," Krzyzewski said. "Look, I love this group of kids, it's as good a group as I've ever coached ... and whenever they have played their last game, that is when I will truly be emotional."
Daniel Ewing handled the offense and Shelden Williams took care of defense to get Coach K his record 66th tournament victory, breaking a tie with Smith. It took a reminder from J.J. Redick for the Blue Devils (27-5) to get the milestone win.
"It means a lot to me and to us as a team," Redick said. "You know, he wouldn't talk about it, but I made sure all the guys on this team knew about it. I mentioned it to the team before we went out on the court. I said "We need to win it for him."'
The victory sent Duke into the region semifinals for the eighth consecutive year, the longest current streak in the nation. The Blue Devils next face No.5 seed Michigan State.
Duke was embarrassed after squeaking out a 57-46 win over No.16 seed Delaware State in the first round, and the Blue Devils had their hands full with No.9 Mississippi State (23-11).
"This was a very tough game, especially for the second round," said Williams, who had 13 points and 15 rebounds. "This was the kind of game you see in the Elite Eight, or maybe even the Final Four."
Duke shot just 38 percent, had 16 turnovers and almost lost what should have been a pro-Duke crowd when the game was tied at 50 with under five minutes to play.
Because rival North Carolina played in the first game, and Tar Heels fans snapped up almost 18,000 tickets in the Charlotte Coliseum, the crowd shifted to the Bulldogs late.
MICHIGAN STATE 72, VERMONT 61: An afterthought during the regular season and sentimental second choice in the NCAAs, Michigan State finally is stepping out of the shadows.
The Spartans advanced to the Sweet 16 over the No.13 seeded Catamounts, the plucky team with the wacky coach that upset Syracuse for its first NCAA Tournament victory at Worcester, Mass.
Michigan State, which finished second to top-ranked Illinois in the Big Ten, reached the round of 16 for the sixth time in eight years.
"I'm glad it's over," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "I thought, with the entire state and nation pulling for them, it would be tough to overcome. I tell you, if I wasn't playing against them, I'd be pulling for them."
Michigan State held Vermont to a season-low 31.4 percent shooting. Senior star Taylor Coppenrath went into a shooting slump - going 5-of-23 - and Michigan State proved to be too fast in transition for the America East champions.
T.J. Sorrentine's layup gave Vermont a 28-27 lead with 2:57 left in the first half, but Michigan State went on an 8-0 run before the break. Paul Davis made it a 10-0 run to start the second, giving the Spartans a 37-28 lead, and the Catamounts never came close again.
"This has been the greatest ride that I ever, ever hoped for," said Vermont coach Tom Brennan, who is retiring. "You live in a very special place when your realities outweigh your dreams. And that's where I am right now."
[Last modified March 21, 2005, 01:51:06]
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