Dae Dae Grant scored 19 points, including four clinching free throws in the final 10 seconds, and No. 11 seed Duquesne kept retiring coach Keith Dambrot working for a little bit longer with a 71-67 victory against sixth-seeded BYU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.
Jakub Necas added 12 points and Jimmy Clark III had 11 as the Atlantic 10 tourney champs celebrated their return to the dance after 47 years with their first win there since 1969. The Dukes (25-11) advanced to play third-seeded Illinois or No. 14 seed Morehead State for a spot in the Sweet 16 on Saturday.
“They just don’t want me to retire,” Dambrot said. “I’m trying to get to the promised land, and they’re making me keep coaching.”