Sports

Duke vs. Houston Sweet 16 Match-up

Omari Hill and Kevin Miller • May 23, 2024

March madness is an annual tournament With Division 1 NCAA teams to compete and define themselves as champions. Photo credits to Wikimedia commons under the creative commons inc

Duke takes victory over Houston 54-51 in the Sweet 16 conference during the March Madness NCAA tournament on March 29, 2024.

This March Madness game was crucial for both teams as this was Duke’s 29th trip to the Sweet 16 and Houston’s 16th. The Duke vs Houston was a game of underdogs that went down to the wire. Friday’s game was an intense one, with both teams having high field goal percentages of 40.8. Both teams hustled on all sides of the court with Duke being dominant with defensive and offensive rebounds. Both teams showed a great defensive performance with steals, blocks and forced turnovers

Jeremy Roach of Duke was a top contributor. Roach had the most impact coming out after halftime with the most points that helped them secure the win. Duke’s Kyle Filipowski, a seven-foot center, led the game with 16 points and completely dominated the court in the second half. Filipowski went 6 for 14 and 1 for 3 from the free throw line while also setting his teammates up for points.

Houston’s L.J. Cryer had 15 points, ending the game going 7 for 14 with 0 free throws.

Prior to the March Madness tournament, both teams were in the top five of their seed during the regular season. With Duke having a record of 24 wins and 8 losses prior to the tournament and Houston having a record of 30 wins and 4 losses, both teams almost went undefeated during their regular season.

The Houston Cougars were eliminated out of the tournament finishing off their season. Duke got to move on to their first game in the Elite 8 Conference but unfortunately suffered a tragic loss to NC State with the final score being 76-64.

About the Contributors

Omari Hill

Omari is currently a 16 -year -old sophomore attending John F. Kennedy Memorial High School and he is currently a first year contributor to The Torch. In the winter, he takes part in the Kennedy basketball team program that he has been on for two years. He enjoys playing video games, basketball and working out in his free time. Omari likes to keep up with local and sports news happening around him. He chose to take journalism to expand his writing in various areas and to improve his general writing skills. After high school, Omari hopes to continue his basketball career and play professionally.

Kevin Miller

Kevin Miller is a 18-year-old senior attending John F. Kennedy High School. He is currently a contributing member of The Torch and this is his first year taking journalism. He likes to watch the news about sports and current events. Kevin took this class so he can know the events that happen within the school including sports and cultural events. Kevin is currently a part of the DEI committee and Narrative 4. Kevin plays basketball and works out outside of school frequently. Kevin is a big fan of watching the NBA on his off time. After high school, he wants to go to college and major in kinesiology to become a physical therapist and an athletic trainer.