It took three days, but we finally have a major upset in the women’s tournament.
After trailing by double-digits in the first half, No. 7 Duke has shocked No. 2 Ohio State, defeating them 75-63 and moving on to their first Sweet 16 since 2018.
Early on the game was all Ohio State. They doubled up Duke in the first quarter, leading 20-10, and at one point had a 16-point lead over the Blue Devils, who went a shocking 11 minutes without a basket in the first two quarters. Despite all that, by the end of the first half, Duke had cut Ohio State’s lead to just eight.
Duke came out of halftime ready to pound the court, and with 1:22 left in the third quarter, they did what was unthinkable just two quarters earlier: they took the lead.
When a lower seed gains a lead on a top seed, there can be a feeling of precariousness, like the lower seed could collapse at any moment. But Duke never looked like they were playing over their heads, confidently matching Ohio State shot for shot. With just over four minutes left, They took a six-point lead over Ohio State, their biggest of the game, and built on it from there. Ohio State simply couldn’t get any breathing room.
This is the second straight game in which Duke trailed at halftime and came back to win. They trailed by nine at halftime against No. 10 Richmond before coming back to win 72-61.
And on Sunday, they did it again. But this time, they changed the direction of the entire tournament.