Sportswrap: Men’s basketball completes sweep of North Carolina, baseball and softball keep winning

Sportswrap is your one-stop store for every thing Duke athletics, the place we’ll recap how every of Duke’s sports activities at the moment in competitors carried out over the past week and provides a short look forward. Right here’s our recap for the week of Feb. 27-March 5.

Males’s basketball

Duke had, basically, the right week. On Tuesday night time it bested N.C. State 71-67, exacting its revenge from its 24-point loss to the Wolfpack earlier this season. The win accomplished the Blue Devils’ season-long undefeated run in Cameron Indoor Stadium, the nineteenth in program historical past. Jon Scheyer holds the convention report for many consecutive residence wins by a first-year head coach — he’s the primary to finish his inaugural season undefeated in his personal stadium. On Saturday night, Duke (23-8, 14-6 in ACC) closed out its common season in Chapel Hill, taking down the rival Tar Heels 62-57 in a nail-biting thriller. Kyle Filipowski led the cost with 22 factors and 13 rebounds, his 14th double-double of the season. The win slotted the Blue Devils into the No. 4-seed within the ACC match, and they’re going to play their first sport Thursday at 2:30 p.m. -Rachael Kaplan

Girls’s basketball

The Thirteenth-ranked Blue Devils started their postseason this week as they competed within the ACC match. After incomes the No. 2-seed, Duke (25-6, 14-4) earned a double-bye earlier than going through off towards archrival North Carolina within the quarterfinals. Lastly avenging their two regular-season losses, the Blue Devils eked out the victory 44-40 behind double-digit performances from senior Elizabeth Balogun and sophomore Reigan Richardson. The magic of the second would fade as Duke fell to Virginia Tech within the semifinals 58-37. Capturing 26.8% general with just one 3-pointer on the day, the Blue Devils struggled towards a potent Hokie offense. Now, head coach Kara Lawson and her squad await Choice Sunday to see the place they’ll fall for the NCAA match. –Mackenzie Sheehy

Baseball

The Blue Devils put collectively one other successful week in Durham. Tuesday’s midweek contest offered the primary alternative for a ranked win, and Duke (8-3) capitalized. The Blue Devils dominated No. 20 East Carolina in a rare 9-0 win, as 5 pitchers mixed for the shutout. The sometimes explosive Pirates managed simply three hits, whereas a Jay Beshears grand slam within the fifth inning allowed Duke to cruise to victory. Just a few days later, the Blue Devils dropped the primary of three video games to Princeton however have been capable of battle again to choose up the sequence win with a pair of weekend victories. Apart from Friday night time, the Duke bats stayed sizzling with 21-2 and 12-5 victories Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The Blue Devils host Appalachian State and Northeastern for midweek video games earlier than starting convention play towards No. 7 Wake Forest. -Elliott Jarnot

Softball

Bedlam in Upstate New York. After a chaotic 60 minutes of lacrosse, No. 6 Duke got here up trumps on the loss of life towards Syracuse, with freshman midfielder Charles Balsamo’s sudden-victory purpose deciding the competition. The Blue Devils (5-1, 1-0) dinged the submit an absurd 12 occasions all through the sport of their nervy 14-13 victory, paced by junior attackman Brennan O’Neill’s 4 targets and two assists. The win marks Duke’s first-ever on the Orange’s residence turf main right into a Friday night conflict with Loyola at Koskinen Stadium. –Andrew Lengthy

Males’s golf

Duke opened its spring marketing campaign in Puerto Rico for the Dorado Seashore Collegiate, a three-day workforce and particular person occasion. The Blue Devils completed in second place at 36-under, eight strokes behind the champions, Cincinnati. Individually, all Duke golfers positioned thirty first or higher, however junior Ian Siebers and freshmen Ethan Evans and William Love performed particularly effectively, with Love successful the match outright at 17-under. On Monday and Tuesday, Duke takes on Pinehurst No. 2 for the Wake Forest Invitational, the place it hopes to proceed its electrical begin to a promising season. –Sammy Marks

Girls’s golf

In its annual journey to Hilton Head Island, S.C., for the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate, Duke struggled en path to a Tenth-place end at +29. Phoebe Brinker obtained into the hunt with rounds of 72 and 69, after which three early birdies in her last spherical, however faltered down the stretch en path to a tie for eighth at one-over. Rylie Heflin was the second-best Blue Satan of the week (tie for thirtieth at +7), whereas Erica Shepherd, Andie Smith and Megan Furtney all have been outdoors the highest 30. Subsequent for Duke is a visit to Augusta, Ga., for the Valspar Augusta Invitational, which is ready for March 11-12. -Max Rego

Males’s tennis

Duke confronted off towards Louisville and Notre Dame in its first two street ACC contests this weekend. On Friday, the Blue Devils (10-4, 3-0) defeated the Cardinals 4-2 to win their second ACC matchup this season. Freshman Pedro Rodenas began sturdy along with his second win towards a nationally ranked participant and junior Andrew Dale in the end clinched the win, beating Louisville’s Sergio Hernandez. On Sunday, Duke traveled to Notre Dame to face the Preventing Irish. It gained 4-2 once more, with Rodenas and senior Garrett Johns clinching the doubles win. The Blue Devils relaxation this week earlier than returning to ACC street motion March 17 towards Virginia Tech. –Suresh Kannoth

Girls’s tennis

Spring is within the air for Duke, which performed its first matches outdoor this weekend and registered victories towards No. 14 Notre Dame and Louisville. The 18th-ranked doubles duo of senior Chloe Beck and graduate pupil Cameron Morra clinched the doubles level in every of the matches, and Beck continued her undefeated begin in singles by transferring to 12-0 in twin match singles. The Blue Devils (13-2, 3-1) gained a ranked matchup towards the Preventing Irish 5-2 earlier than dispatching of the Cardinals 7-0 Sunday, transferring their residence victory streak to 21. Highway journeys to Clemson and Georgia Tech are subsequent on the schedule for Duke, because it hopes to proceed to impress in ACC play. –Dom Fenoglio

Wrestling

Senior captain Jonah Niesenbaum completed in second place on the ACC Championships in Raleigh, changing into the lone Blue Satan to qualify for NCAAs. The Allentown, Pa., native defeated Jake Slinger of Pittsburgh 3-2 to increase the Duke (3-12, 0-5) streak sending a grappler to nationals to fifteen years. Logan Agin additionally put in a powerful displaying, ending in fourth place and simply outdoors of an NCAA qualifier spot. Vincent Baker, Jack Wimmer, Gabe Dinette, Logan Ferrero, Patrick Rowland, Jarred Papcsy and Ethan Grimminger all had their seasons come to an in depth with quarterfinal losses. Niesenbaum and the teaching workers journey to Tulsa, Okla., for the NCAA Championships March 16. –Luke Jovanovic