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WASHINGTON – The No. 2 Michigan State seed did it. The Spartans slaughtered the giants of college basketball. In a thrilling 68-67 victory, Michigan State knocked out No. 1 seed Duke at Capital One Arena on Sunday night to qualify for the Final Four.
Duke, the No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, had all too often flirted with fire in the NCAA tournament. After victories in single possession against UCF and Virginia Tech in the second round and Sweet 16, respectively, the Blue Devils were finally burned in a stunning defeat. RJ Barrett had the chance to score a tie at 68 in the free throw line with six seconds to play, but he managed one of two goals and Duke never scored again.
Credit to Tom Izzo and Michigan State. This was not a fuzzy result. Duke did not choke his lead late. Michigan State did not succeed that in Cinderella fashion. The Izzo Spartans were the best team, plus his for 40 minutes. They led for 22 minutes of play time and imposed themselves as they should.
The Spartan star, Cassius Winston, was the biggest. Michigan State's faithful goalkeeper scored 20 points and 10 assists in the effort to win. It was a help for Xavier Tillman to keep Sparty close at hand. Flight. A rider does. Appropriately, Winston, the Top Ten player of the year, dribbled the last few seconds of a game that Sparty fans will not forget anytime soon.
Duke's stars were great. Zion Williamson scored 24 points and grabbed 14 boards while Barrett added 21 points and six boards. But the decisive decisions – reckless turnarounds, poor shot selection and bad passes – led to a battle of 17-7 wins won by the Spartans and lost in a landslide by Duke. The Spartans scored 24 points on these turnovers, compared to the Duke nine, which says a lot.
What is clear after 40 minutes of basketball in DC is that the most talented team does not always move. Duke could have four first-round picks on his lineup and Michigan State might not have a selected player. But what is most clear is that the best team has gone victorious.
The Spartans will play their 10th final in the fourth round – and eighth under Tom Izzo – next week against No. 3 seed Texas Tech in Minneapolis.
CBS Sports was with you for full coverage of Sunday's Washington match with our live blog below. If you have trouble viewing the blog, click here please.
Comment from Duke vs. Michigan State
Thank you for being past.
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