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Indiana 74, Duke 73

Posted: Friday March 22, 2002 01:12 AM

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LEXINGTON, Kentucky (Ticker) -- Jason Williams' fatal flaw proved fatal for Duke.

Williams missed a tying free-throw attempt with four seconds left and the top-seeded Blue Devils failed to convert the rebound as No. 5 Indiana rallied from a 17-point deficit in the first half for a 74-73 upset in the South Region semifinals.

Indiana (23-11) took a 74-70 lead on two free throws by A.J. Moye with 11 seconds left. The Blue Devils pushed the ball upcourt and got it to Williams, the Naismith Player of the Year, at the top of the key.

Williams drilled his 3-pointer as Indiana guard Dane Fife inexplicably committed a foul. But Williams, who was 0-of-6 from the line in a loss at Florida State on January 6, misfired again.

"I thought my free throw was in and out," Williams said. "I thought we had a chance to get back. Sometimes the ball doesn't bounce your way." Duke forward Carlos Boozer grabbed the rebound but his follow missed. The Hoosiers' Jared Jeffries, who collected 24 points and 15 rebounds, corraled the ball as the stunned defending national champions looked on.

"We messed up a lot of brackets," Indiana coach Mike Davis said. "There are a lot of guys tearing those things up." The Blue Devils (31-4) dominated early and took their largest lead at 29-12 on a 3-pointer by Chris Duhon with just under nine minutes left in the first half. The lead was 42-29 at halftime as Indiana committed 16 of its season-high 23 turnovers.

"I never felt comfortable," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "They are a very good defensive team. Teams that are good defensively are always in games." Duke was still on fire early in the second half, but Indiana forward Jarrad Odle made his first five shots of the half to keep his team close. Boozer's two free throws gave the Blue Devils a 59-45 lead with just over 12 minutes left.

Indiana used a 17-2 run, capped by Jeffries' layup, to pull within 63-62 with 5:42 to go. Physical play was the key for the Hoosiers, who also received a huge spark from Moye, a reserve guard.

Moye finished with 14 points and also had an emphatic block on Boozer that resulted in a jump ball.

"That block, it kind of amazed me," Moye said. "I thought he was going to dunk it. I was up so high, I felt I might as well block it." A 3-pointer by Mike Dunleavy gave Duke a 70-64 lead with 2:50 remaining before Indiana made its final run. Tom Coverdale made a free throw and Jeffries added a three-point play to pull the Hoosiers within two.

The Hoosiers took their first lead on Coverdale's turnaround shot with 58 seconds left for a 72-70 advantage. Duke tried to respond but freshman Daniel Ewing missed a 3-pointer with 45 seconds remaining.

Indiana punished Duke on the glass to the tune of a 47-32 advantage. It also enjoyed a 40-28 advantage in points in the paint, with much of that coming in the second half.

"I told them, 'They don't want to play defense inside. We have to get it inside,'" Davis said.

Davis was quick to credit Maryland assistant Dave Dickerson for the Hoosiers' game plan. He spoke to Dickerson to prepare for Duke, using the insight of someone that defeated Duke this season.

"None of the credit goes to me because you saw those guys tonight," Davis said. "Our guys will fight to the end." Odle netted 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting to help offset a sub-par outing from Coverdale, who was plagued by foul trouble and scored only six points.

The Hoosiers' focus on the interior resulted in Duke being outscored at the line, a rare occurrence. Indiana made 20-of-31 free throws while the Blue Devils made just 10-of-19.

Boozer had 19 points and nine rebounds to lead Duke but was dominated on the defensive end by Jeffries and Odle. Dunleavy made just 5-of-16 shots for 17 and six boards.

"He had a great game," Dunleavy said of Jeffries. "He was 9-for-21 but he stuck with it. At his size and skill level, he's tough to defend." Williams finished his career by making 6-of-19 shots for 15 points. The Blue Devils also are expected to lose fellow junior Boozer to the NBA.

"It is hard for me to be sad for one game," Krzyzewski said. "I get the opportunity to work with these kids on a day-to-day basis. All the credit goes to Indiana." The Hoosiers are in a regional final for the first time since 1993. They will face 10th-seeded Kent State on Saturday.