Timing Is Right For Duke’s Brickey in Victory : West Regional: Blue Devil forward sinks tiebreaking basket to help defeat St. John’s, 76-72.

Robert Brickey missed four of his first six free throws Sunday against St. John’s. But when the game was on the line, he made them all.

Brickey made a tiebreaking basket with 32 seconds left and added two free throws with nine seconds remaining, giving No. 15-ranked Duke a 76-72 victory and a fifth consecutive trip to the final 16 of the NCAA tournament.

The Blue Devils will meet UCLA, a winner over Kansas in Sunday’s other game here, Thursday in the East Regionals at East Rutherford, N.J.

Brickey, who finished with 22 points, also hit four consecutive free throws on one play midway through the second half to help cut St. John’s lead to four points.

“I wasn’t nervous at all,” said Brickey, a 70% shooter from the line. “In clutch times I’m a much better free throw shooter than my percentage. At the end I was confident I would get both and put the game out of reach.”

Duke became the fourth Atlantic Coast Conference team to reach the final 16, joining North Carolina, Clemson and Georgia Tech.

Brickey gave Duke a 74-72 lead when he grabbed an air ball by Alaa Abdelnaby and dropped it in the basket. After Greg “Boo” Harvey came down and missed a 15-footer for St. John’s, Brickey was fouled and added the clinching free throws.

“It’s a game we won. St. John’s didn’t lose it,” Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski said.

Duke (26-8) trailed 61-53 with 8:49 left when Brickey was fouled by Chuck Sproling. A technical foul also was called on St. John’s (24-10) Billy Singleton on the play.

Brickey made the first two free throws, then hit the two technical foul shots and Duke maintained possession. Abdelnaby followed with a layup to pull the Blue Devils to 61-59.

“A technical is like a bad pass,” said St. John’s Coach Lou Carnesecca. “It’s part of the game. It is one part of the game that’s difficult to control. Give Duke credit for making the foul shots.”