During his pregame speech to the team, UAlbany Great Danes head coach Will Brown said that nobody believed they could win today's Second Round game in the Men's NCAA Tournament against Duke, except for themselves. Well regardless of how accurate that statement may be, the Great Danes put in a very gritty effort against one of the best teams in the country, but eventually lost to the Blue Devils by a score of 73-61.

This was a game where I believed UAlbany had to do one particular thing well in order to give themselves a chance, and they did it - defend the perimeter shooters. Duke would finish the game only 4-of-11 from beyond the arc, but the Blue Devils took advantage of their athletic superiority and took care of business inside the paint, finishing the day shooting just under 59 percent overall from the field.

Seth Curry and Mason Plumlee carried Duke to victory, shooting 19-of-25 from the field and contributing with 49 of the team's 73 points in the game. Meanwhile, for the Great Danes, guard Jacob Iati led with 15 points, with another 13 from Peter Hooley off the bench and 10 each from Sam Rowley and Mike Black.

UAlbany finishes the season with a 24-11 overall record, an America East Tournament championship and a lot of pride. This team can hold their heads up high, because they put in a tremendous effort against one of the best teams in the nation.

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