Duke beats Wisconsin 68-63 for Men's NCAA National Basketball Championship

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Duke players celebrate after the NCAA Final Four college basketball tournament championship game Monday, April 6, 2015, in Indianapolis. Duke won 68-63. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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INDIANAPOLIS -- With two of Duke's star freshmen in foul trouble in the biggest game of the season, the Blue Devils found a championship-saving jolt from an unlikely source.

Hello, Grayson Allen. Welcome to the game's biggest stage.

The fourth and often overlooked member of Duke's heralded freshman class scored 16 points in Monday night's NCAA championship game. That included a run of eight straight points - along with a huge burst of energy - that helped Duke get back in a game that was slipping away and beat Wisconsin 68-63 for the program's fifth title.

Allen's timely burst was desperately needed for Duke with star big man Jahlil Okafor battling foul trouble. And with Okafor sitting for long stretches of the second half, Allen saw major minutes in a small lineup for the Blue Devils (35-4).