The 2015 NCAA tournament came to a thrilling close Monday night after Duke held off Wisconsin 68-63 to complete its national title run.
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski cut down the nets for the fifth time in his career, and Duke became the fifth program with five national titles.
It was a pair of freshmen that carried the Blue Devils to the promised land, but not the two you would have expected before the game. Tyus Jones led the way with 23 points, 19 of which came in the second half. Jones was named the Most Outstanding Player in the Final Four.
The unexpected boost came from Grayson Allen, who scored 16 points off the bench and got Duke off the ropes when the Badgers were trying to throw a knockout punch. Here's a look at the box score from Monday's game, courtesy of ESPN.com.
| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Total |
| Wisconsin | 31 | 32 | 63 |
| Duke | 31 | 37 | 68 |
| Player | Min | Pts | Reb | Ast | Blk | Stl | FGM-FGA | FTM-FTA | TO |
| Frank Kaminsky | 39 | 21 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7-16 | 5-6 | 2 |
| Sam Dekker | 34 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6-15 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Nigel Hayes | 37 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5-10 | 0-2 | 1 |
| Josh Gasser | 36 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Bronson Koenig | 31 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4-9 | 1-2 | 0 |
| Duje Dukan | 10 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 1 |
| Traevon Jackson | 13 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1-7 | 0-0 | 1 |
| Player | Min | Pts | Reb | Ast | Blk | Stl | FGM-FGA | FTM-FTA | TO |
| Jahlil Okafor | 22 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5-9 | 0-1 | 2 |
| Justise Winslow | 32 | 11 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3-9 | 4-7 | 2 |
| Tyus Jones | 37 | 23 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7-13 | 7-7 | 1 |
| Quinn Cook | 35 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3-8 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Matt Jones | 23 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Marshall Plumlee | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Amile Jefferson | 21 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Grayson Allen | 21 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5-8 | 5-5 | 0 |
So how did Duke get it done? It was with good interior defense down the stretch and a little help from Allen and Jones while Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow struggled with foul trouble. Let's recap some of the more memorable highlights from the game.
The first notable moment came before the game even started, when North Carolina coach Roy Williams bought a ticket for Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan's late father.
Rachel Nichols @Rachel__NicholsOne of the best moments of the night happened before the ball was even tipped. Nicely done, Roy Williams.
Okafor didn't do much, but he did have a few early dunks, including this one on a nice pass from Quinn Cook.
NCAA March Madness @marchmadnessHIGHLIGHT: Send it in!
However, Wisconsin frustrated Okafor for most of the game, especially on this solid interior defense from Kaminsky.
SB Nation GIF @SBNationGIFFrank Kaminsky, basketball thief.
Okafor had to sit after getting into foul trouble, and perhaps none was bigger than his fourth, when Kaminsky lulled him to sleep with the drop step.
Bleacher Report @BleacherReportFrank Kaminsky draws the fourth foul on Jahlil Okafor and picks up the and-1!
Duke looked like it was out of it, but Allen took the game over with a personal 8-3 run that included a three, a steal, an and-one and free throws off another drawn foul. His performance had some predicting a future 30 for 30.
Sal Capaccio đ @SalSportsSomewhere, someone is already putting together footage for the eventual "I hate Grayson Allen" @30for30
With the game close again down the stretch, Jones made his presence felt with a tough three-pointer that gave Duke the lead for good.
NCAA March Madness @marchmadnessDuke took the lead for good! #NCAAChampionship #GameChanger
After that, Okafor came back and showed why some consider him the future No. 1 pick.
Bleacher Report @BleacherReportJahlil Okafor is back in the game and is SO STRONG
The game wasn't without controversy though, as the referees seemed to miss a call that could have changed the outcome. In a close game with under two minutes left, the ball went out of bounds and the referees had to go to the monitor to determine possession. It seemed to go off Duke, but the referees determined it was off Wisconsin. You be the judge.
SB Nation GIF @SBNationGIFSure, that ball didn't touch his finger.
Wisconsin still had a chance after that, but Duke was able to hold on for the win. A team led by freshmen won the tournament, but not the one we all expected heading into March. Nonetheless, the college hoops season is now over, and next year can't come soon enough.
What is the most memorable moment from the championship game? Sound off in the comments below and follow Justin on Twitter @JustinNeuman10.
