Duquesne males’s basketball coach Keith Dambrot knew earlier than going through No. 3 seed Illinois within the second spherical of the NCAA match: His Dukes had been bracing for one of many nation’s prime offensive threats.
However when the Preventing Illini lit up the scoreboard for 50 factors within the opening half en path to their 89-63 victory, it left Duquesne shell-shocked in its season-ending loss.
But for all of the anguish the workforce felt afterward, the importance of the Dukes’ achievements this season wasn’t misplaced.
Relationship again to Feb. 28, the Dukes had been driving a nine-game profitable streak that included the Atlantic 10 convention match title and a first-round upset win within the NCAA match.
For senior guard Dae Dae Grant, who averaged 16.7 factors a recreation this season however was held to only 7 in opposition to the Illini, the loss was simply the ultimate stamp on some uncommon accomplishments by a Dukes males’s basketball workforce.
“That’s only a blessing to have the ability to have that [Atlantic 10 tournament title] banner hung up,” stated Grant, who was named the Most Excellent Participant within the convention match.
“Not many individuals can do this and have been within the place we’ve got been in these previous couple of weeks and even [the last] couple months.”
The loss additionally marked the ultimate recreation for Dambrot, who introduced earlier than the NCAA match that he had deliberate to retire on the season’s finish after seven seasons because the Dukes’ head coach.
“It wasn’t fairly the best way I wished it to finish,” he stated Saturday night time.
Dambrot recorded his first NCAA match win Thursday when the Eleventh-seeded Dukes opened the NCAA match spherical with an upset win over No. 6 seed Brigham Younger College. His earlier three NCAA match video games (2009, 2011 and 2013) got here whereas he was the pinnacle coach at Akron.
“I actually don’t care about any of that,” Dambrot stated on Friday whereas making an attempt to determine the best way to cease the Illini. “My solely factor is, ‘Hey, get your workforce able to play and play a superb basketball recreation.’”
Sadly for the Dukes, Illinois by no means allowed them to get something going.
The Dukes’ prime two scorers this season, Grant and Jimmy Clark III, shot a mixed 1-for-10 from the sphere within the opening half. On the similar time, the Illini’s offense acquired clicking because it typically does, ranked ninth amongst all NCAA Division I colleges averaging 84.4 factors per recreation.
The Dukes’ deficit grew to as many as 26 factors earlier than halftime.
Whereas the rating was unbalanced within the season finale, the gamers talked concerning the stability that Dambrot supplied in his ultimate season as coach.
“Me and Coach’s relationship grew, and it grew as properly on the court docket,” stated Grant. “We had a gathering earlier within the season, and I used to be principally requested to be coached tougher.”
Grant added, “Coach took the initiative in addition to the opposite employees, and so they did that. I accepted that problem.”
After an inauspicious 0-5 begin to the convention season, the workforce picked itself up and reeled off a season that noticed a return to the NCAA match for the primary time since 1977.
Although Dambrot will not be on the bench, his rapid plan is to be the largest fan of the returning gamers.
“I would like any individual to observe subsequent 12 months, so I’m going to observe all my guys which are nonetheless taking part in,” he stated. “Spend a while with them, and determine what I’m going to do subsequent.”
Dambrot ends his profession with a 529-305 file in 26 seasons, together with 441-269 at Division I colleges Duquesne, Central Michigan and Akron.
“It actually did not matter what the rating was,” Dambrot stated. “It’s irrelevant as a result of we laid a superb basis for Duquesne to be a superb program sooner or later.”
The Illini will play No. 2 seed Iowa State Thursday in an East Area semifinal in Boston.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
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