Duke Survives Hurricane Scare, Moves to ACC Final

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- So much for worst to first.

No. 12 seed Miami had the heart and hope, but the Hurricanes simply didn't have enough juice to keep pace with No. 1 Duke in Saturday's Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament semifinal. That's not to say the South Beachers didn't make it entertaining, however.

Duke was tested, squandering a pair of double-digit advantages in each half, but it regrouped to earn a 77-74 victory that advances it into Sunday's championship at the Greensboro Coliseum.

The Blue Devils, who can win a league-best 18th tournament title, also continue to play for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Duke (28-5) got a brief scare when the Hurricanes (20-13), who were in the ACC semifinals for the first time in their history, put together a 17-2 run to erase a 12-point deficit and take a 35-32 lead at the break.

Not to worry.

Kyle Singler scored eight straight points out of the break for Duke to ignite a game-changing 15-0 run that finally gave Duke a 58-42 lead with 11:52 left.

The Hurricanes got within five points five separate times in the last 90 seconds only to see the Blue Devils respond with either a needed basket or clutch free throws.

"Miami's played great basketball here, and this afternoon was another example of just how well they're playing," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said.

"I thought our guys had to play a great second half. They (Hurricanes) fought until the very end and I thought we did, too, and we feel very good about coming out on the positive side."

GAME BALL GOES TO: Duke's Kyle Singler.

Singler, part of the Blue Devils' Big Three -- he's the tallest and with a full head of hair -- scored a game-high 27 points. He scored 16 points, including eight in the go-ahead 15-0 run early in the second half that erased a three-point Duke deficit.

"Singler just came out and took over the game," UM guard Malcolm Grant said.

Yes he did.

Singler also made five of Duke's treys in the game and also added eight rebounds, six assists and one block. For good measure, he made all four of his free throws in the final minute.

"Pretty much I just got the ball in some great spots to score the basketball and pretty much just using our bigs (post players) to get open," Singler said.

Sure, his partners -- Nolan Smith and Jon Scheyer -- did their part, too, combining to score 28 points. They are attempting to become just the third trio in Duke history to each average better than 17 points per game.

Singler, an All-ACC first-team selection with Scheyer, entered Saturday's game on a roll. He was averaging 20.3 points while shooting 42.5 percent from three-point range over the last seven games. He had three double-doubles and scored 20 or more points four times in that span.

HEART GOES OUT TO: UM guard Durand Scott.

The freshman point guard from the Big Apple should have a big future. Scott, hesitant to step on anyone's toes earlier in the season, settled nicely into a leadership role. He was also aggressive attacking the rim like it was nobody's business, scoring double digits in eight of his last nine games.

Scott, who scored 11 points over the final six minutes and finished with 17 in UM's Friday victory over Virginia Tech, was at it again against Duke.

Scott finished with a team-high 21 points, draining 10 of 15 field goals, and added four rebounds and three assists with just two turnovers against the Blue Devils' noted defense.

"It was pretty much Singler came in and took over the game," Scott said."I think we just had a little breakdown as a team, but like my coach said, we all came together and fought back. We tried to bring it as close as possible.

"It didn't work out our way."

KEY ELEMENT: Duke's second-half shooting against UM's zone, though an animated Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski was a close second.

Coach K was whistled for a technical foul late in the first half after a series of whistles went UM's way. He responded to his first T-bone of the season by taking off his gray sport coat, igniting the Duke faithful. He spent the rest of the game coaching without it.

Back to the Blue Devils' shooting over the final 20 minutes, a span that saw them go 13 of 24 (54.2 percent) The Hurricanes probably knew it was coming, too.

Duke went 15 for 28 from the floor in the second half to wipe out a 12-point deficit and claim an 81-74 win at Miami on Feb. 17.

WHERE TO FROM HERE: UM is headed to the NIT, where it can continue to build for the future. There have also been whispers that head coach Frank Haith could be a candidate for the opening at Auburn, which fired Jeff Lebo on Friday after his fourth losing season in six years.

Including the expected NIT invite, Haith has led the Hurricanes to five postseason appearances (four NIT, one NCAA) in six years. He has also emphasized the classroom. Under Haith's tenure, all eight UM senior basketball players who have completed their eligibility have earned their degrees.

WHO'S GOT NEXT: Duke will meet the Georgia Tech/North Carolina State winner in Sunday's championship.

The Blue Devils have won eight of the last 11 ACC Tournament championships. They have posted an 86-39 record in the tourney and have won 17 titles, tied for the most in league history. Duke's tournament titles came in 1960, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1978, 1980, 1986, 1988, 1992, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2009.

The Blue Devils are 30-3 in the tourney since 1999 and own a 32-15 records in tourney games held at the Greensboro Coliseum.

SOUNDBITE: "These guys are all babies and we're only going to have one senior on our team next year, so I think it's going to be a team that can have some success down the road -- a lot of success down the road." -- UM coach Frank Haith