Photo via Todd Melet

What a Sunday afternoon for Duke and President Trump.

Let’s just say, for argument’s sake, that half the country is split down the middle on Duke basketball and President Donald J. Trump. How could you possibly ignore the juxtaposition of the Blue Devils’ last-second escape in the NCAA tournament and the Prez’s acquittal from the investigation of the Special Counsel on Russian collusion.

It’s beyond irony and humor that both of those decisions came down within hours of each other Sunday. Don’t you think?

Just as Carolina’s 81-59 victory over Washington was tipping off about a half-hour late due to the Tennessee-Iowa overtime game on the same court, the news broke that Trump had been exonerated from any conspiracy to sway the 2016 presidential election. That certainly made half the country happy and the other half, not so.

Almost immediately from the tip of top-ranked Duke’s game against Central Florida and former Dukie Johnny Dawkins, that soon-to-be nail-biter unfolded. Despite typical heroics from Superman Zion, the Blue Devils could not seem to shake the ninth-seed and their well-executed game plan and sensational play of coach’s son Aubrey Dawkins. Midway through the second half, the score was tied.

That’s when the half of America that roots for Duke started reaching for the Rolaids and Tums, while the other half either started watching the game more closely or, after reading tweets and texts that Duke was in a dog fight, turned on their TVs.

Even though this one seemed to be going down to the wire, Duke would surely pull it out, as great teams almost always do.

But when the officials finally called a charge on one of Zion’s bullish drives to the basket and then did not overturn a questionable shot clock violation, it looked like UCF might actually knock vaunted Duke out of the Big Dance in the second round. Leading by four, the Knights missed a wide-open dunk that might have sealed the stunning upset.

Then Zion scored and had an and-one free throw to tie the game. He missed, but RJ Barrett snagged the rebound and laid it in for a one-point lead. UCF had one last chance with eight seconds left. Their shot and follow to win both rolled off the rim, and half the country rejoiced while the other half recoiled into a fetal position.

What a dramatic day for all those on either side of the great American divide.

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