Duke Repeats ACC Title
Duke pulled off a 70-65 overtime victory over Louisville to clinch the ACC tournament title. The 13th-ranked Blue Devils overcame a four-point deficit in the final four minutes, with Riley Nelson's clutch three-pointer as the shot clock expired sealing their second consecutive championship after starting 3-6.
This marks Duke's tenth ACC Tournament title in program history, and they are the first team to win back-to-back championships since NC State did so in 2020 and 2021. The victory also secured an eighth ACC regular season and tournament championship sweep for the Blue Devils, the most of any current member of the conference. The road to the championship was a dramatic turnaround for coach Kara Lawson's team, which started the season with a dismal 3-6 record, their worst start since the 1983-84 season. Following that difficult stretch, which included losses to West Virginia, South Florida, South Carolina, UCLA, and LSU, the Blue Devils went on to win 21 of their next 23 games. Taina Mair was named the MVP of the tournament, capping a strong performance with 19 points and 12 rebounds in the final. Delaney Thomas also scored 19 points, including a crucial layup with just four seconds left in regulation to force the game into overtime. Louisville had led for 35 of the 40 minutes in regulation before Duke's late comeback. For Louisville, the loss concluded a successful season under head coach Jeff Walz, finishing with a 27-7 record. The Cardinals had a strong conference showing, finishing 15-3 in the ACC and securing the number two seed in the tournament. Their season included a 14-game winning streak and an 11-0 start to conference play. Both teams are now looking ahead to the NCAA Tournament. Projections from ESPN's Charlie Creme have Louisville as a No. 3 seed. Various bracketology experts predict Duke will also be a high seed, with some suggesting they could be a No. 1 seed in the East Region.
