GREENVILLE, S.C. — In a sport where the only lasting stars are the coaches, few are more recognizable than Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and Michigan State's Tom Izzo.
Both have spent decades at the top of their profession, with national titles, Final Fours and enshrinement in the Hall of Fame.
They've squared off far more frequently than usual for teams in different leagues, including on the sport's biggest stage in the NCAA Tournament.
On Sunday, they're doing it one final time as the Spartans take on the Blue Devils at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
Michigan State defeated Davidson in a close game Friday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
MSU's Joey Hauser led the way with 27 points for the Spartans.
Michigan State led at halftime 32-31 and the second half of the game proved to be just as close. Former Spartan, Foster Loyer, put up 12 points in their loss against the Spartans and Luka Brajkovic led Davidson with 18 points.
The Spartans never led by more than 6 during the matchup and there were several lead changes throughout the game.
As the game against Duke hits halftime, the Spartans fall steps behind the Blue Devils, at 39-35.
In a nail-biting second half, MSU and Duke traded places at the top for minutes on end. Finally, though, the Blue Devils ended as the victor, winning 85-76.
Duke's star freshman Paolo Banchero scored 19 points and muscled in the go-ahead drive through contact with 2:05 left, putting the Blue Devils (30-6) ahead to stay in the record-extending 1,200th win of Krzyzewski’s career. Duke reached the Sweet 16 for the 26th time under Coach K, who announced last summer that his 42nd season with the Blue Devils would be his last.
Michigan State had a five-point lead with five minutes left to put Duke's season in peril, only to see the Blue Devils respond with one big shot after another.
Gabe Brown scored 18 points to lead Michigan State, while Tyson Walker scored all 13 of his points after halftime. The Spartans shot 42% for the game and had only one field goal over the final 2 1/2 minutes in possession-by-possession fight as Duke made its move.
The Spartans season ends in the second round of the NCAA tournament while rival Michigan heads to the Sweet Sixteen next weekend.
After the buzzer, Krzyzewski and Izzo shared a long hug at midcourt to mark the end of a series that became a nonconference staple.
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