YouTube Gold: Duke vs. Mississippi Valley State, 1986

In 1986, Mike Krzyzewski led Duke to the Finał Four for the first time. The Blue Devils entered the tournament at 32-2 and a breath of fresh air for the national media (in retrospect, it’s hard to think of Duke as the likable new kid on the block).

Duke was the #1 seed in the East and was expected do well. However, the first game, against Mississippi Valley State was not as easy as everyone expected it to be.

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The Delta Devils had no fear of Duke and really pushed the Blue Devils, taking a 40-37 halftime lead.

Duke fought back though, largely behind a brilliant game from Johnny Dawkins. Dawkins had 20 points in the second half, including one stretch where he scored 10 straight. One play in particular was great: Dawkins missed a free throw, got his own rebound, and put it back in before he hit the ground.

After that too-close-for comfort win, Duke would beat Old Dominion, 89-61, DePaul 74-67, before facing David Robinson and Navy in the regional finals, 71-50.

In the Final Four, the Blue Devils knocked out Kansas, 71-67, before falling to Louisville, 72-69.

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/youtube-gold-duke-vs-mississippi-100000614.html

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Publish date : 2026-10-08 10:00:00

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