Kyle Filipowski scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds as fourth-seeded Duke earned a spot in the Elite Eight with a 54–51 victory over top-seeded Houston on Friday night in South Region play at Dallas.
Jeremy Roach scored all of his 14 points in the second half while playing with a dislocated left pinkie finger for the Blue Devils (27–8).
Houston played the final 26 1/2 minutes without All-American Jamal Shead (sprained right ankle). LJ Cryer scored 15 points and J'Wan Roberts added 13 points and eight rebounds for the Cougars (32–5).
Duke will face 11th-seeded North Carolina State, one of its Atlantic Coast Conference rivals, on Sunday for a spot in the Final Four.
Shead underwent X-rays after his injury and the program said they came back negative. He was on the bench in the second half but returned to action.
Emanuel Sharp tried to make up for Shead’s absence by converting a three-point play to bring Houston within 54–51 with 48.7 seconds left.
Filipowski missed a jumper with 25 seconds left, giving the Cougars an opportunity to tie.
First, Cryer missed a two-point runner with 11 seconds to go. After Houston was awarded the ball following a scramble, Sharp’s 3-point shot bounced off the front rim with under four seconds to play as Duke prevailed.
Shead was injured while driving for a layup that he missed with 6:53 left in the first half. As he planted his right foot, he turned the ankle and he fell to the court and remained there as play went the other direction.
The officials stopped play with 6:38 remaining and Shead was eventually helped off the floor. He had two points on 1-of-5 shooting in 13 minutes. He also contributed three assists and two steals.
Duke led 45–39 after Filipowski’s layup with 9:29 remaining.
Houston scored the next five points to move within one before Filipowski drained a 3-pointer to make it 48–44 with 6:39 left.
Cryer hit a short jumper to bring the Cougars within 50–48 with 4:23 to go, but Tyrese Proctor hit a jumper to put Duke ahead by four with 3:51 remaining.
Neither team scored again until Roach sank a jumper to give the Blue Devils a 54–48 lead with 1:15 left.
Duke went on a 13–4 run immediately after Shead’s injury. The Blue Devils led 23–22 at halftime.
