Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 21, 1993 TAG: 9303210211
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: E1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: From Associated Press reports
DATELINE: ROSEMONT, ILL. LENGTH: Medium
END OF THE ROAD FOR DUKE
THERE WILL BE no third consecutive national championship for Duke. The Blue Devils, dominant for the past seven years, are finished for the season after an 82-77 upset loss to California.\ Coach K cried. Bobby Hurley's lower lip quivered. Nearly a decade of Duke dominance was done.
Jason Kidd and the rest of California's dynasty busters guaranteed that the Blue Devils won't be hugging and high-fiving in New Orleans, upsetting Duke 82-77 Saturday in the second round of the Midwest Region.
"It tears me up that we lost, only because I don't have an opportunity to coach these two guys any more," Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski said of senior co-captains Hurley and Thomas Hill, who helped him win the previous two national titles.
As Coach K continued talking to the media, what began as whimpering turned into full-fledged weeping. Hurley, seated next to him, hung his head and choked back tears of his own.
"Losing a game, it doesn't mean a damn thing," Krzyzewski said. "I won for a long time with these guys and I'll win for the rest of my life for my long association with them."
California (21-8), which has won 11 of 12 games under the positive reinforcement of 29-year-old coach Todd Bozeman, will meet Kansas (27-6) in the regional semifinals on Thursday in St. Louis.
While the Golden Bears made the round of 16 for the first time since 1960, Duke failed to advance that far for the first time in eight years.
The Blue Devils (24-8) had been in the previous five Final Fours and six of the past seven. Before Saturday, Krzyzewski had coached them to a 33-5 tournament record since 1986, including 18-1 in the 1990s.
"It's tough," said Hurley, whose only previous tournament loss had been in the 1990 title game when he was a freshman.
Jason Kidd, Cal's heralded freshman, won a second straight game with a wild, one-handed layup.
In Thursday's opening-round game, Kidd beat LSU with a twisting, spinning, high-banking layup with one second to play. Afterward, LSU coach Dale Brown said the sixth-seeded Golden Bears had no chance to beat the third-seeded, 10th-ranked Blue Devils and that Kidd would be no match for Hurley.
"Dale Brown said we didn't have a prayer," Bozeman said. "But we did have a prayer. Now, as the old song goes, I'll see you in St. Looie."
California was 10-7 when Lou Campanelli was fired Feb. 8 for allegedly verbally abusing his players. Bozeman led the Golden Bears to a 9-1 regular-season finish and was rewarded with a five-year contract the day before the tournament.
Duke battled back from a 70-53 deficit to take a 77-76 lead with 2:21 to play. After neither team scored for more than a minute, Kidd tried to pass the ball inside and it was batted away.
However, he recovered the loose ball and, falling down after being fouled by Grant Hill, tossed a right-handed shot high off the glass and through the net. Kidd added the free throw for a 79-77 Cal lead.
"My emotions are high," said Kidd, who had 11 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds.
Kidd added another free throw, and Lamond Murray, who scored 28 points on 11-of-17 shooting, made two free throws to seal California's eighth straight victory and hand Duke its first tournament loss since the 1990 final against UNLV.
Hurley capped his incredible career with a personal-best 32 points.
Duke center Cherokee Parks injured his ankle with 32 seconds left in the half and didn't return. \
see microfilm for box score