Jackson's game-winner circled the rim twice before falling in and giving Duke a thrilling 87-85 win in the Sweet 16
By Isabel Gonzalez Mar 28, 2026 at 9:33 am ET • 3 min read 
Getty Images SACRAMENTO -- The final buzzer went off, and the ball spun twice around the basket. Everyone inside Golden 1 Center held their breath until it finally went in. When it did, Duke's Ashlon Jackson became an instant March Madness hero.
Jackson's buzzer-beating 3-pointer gave third-seeded Duke an 87-85 win over second-seeded LSU on Friday night, knocking the Tigers out in the Sweet 16. Duke is moving on to face top-seeded UCLA in the Elite Eight on Sunday.
Oh, and the free throws Jackson had missed 20 seconds earlier? Completely forgotten.
"My teammates and my coaches, they trust me, and they believe in me," Jackson said postgame. "And whenever shots aren't really falling for me, I can't really hang my head. That's just how the game goes. Every competitor knows that. But just having that faith from them and the belief from them is really all I needed."
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING SWEETER 📺 @espn pic.twitter.com/oqLxsjcZnC
— Duke Women’s Basketball (@DukeWBB) March 28, 2026
Friday's win, capped by a shot that circled the rim twice, was a full-circle moment for Duke. The team started the season 3-6. That sixth loss came at the hands of LSU in December. By the time they faced the Tigers, the Blue Devils had dropped out of the AP Top 25. That loss just dug them into a deeper hole while Kara Lawson's credentials as the Team USA head coach started being questioned.
A rough start can make or break you. Duke chose to grow from it. The team got back on track, winning 17 consecutive games. Facing LSU again in the Sweet 16 felt like a continuation of a comeback season and also a true showing of how far Duke has come in the last four months.
The Blue Devils had the lead throughout most of the first half, and they again went up by 10 in the middle of the fourth quarter. But they just couldn't put LSU away. With a minute remaining, Mikayla Williams cut the Tigers' deficit to 84-83.
After LSU's MiLaysia Fulwiley came up with a clutch steal, she missed a layup attempt. The ball eventually found its way into Jackson's hands. She was fouled with 19 seconds left and sent to the charity stripe for two free throws.
She missed both. And, ten seconds of game time later, LSU had the lead after Williams knocked down two clutch free throws. LSU was 9.8 seconds from the Sweet 16.
After a missed 3-pointer and an offensive rebound, Duke took a timeout with 2.6 seconds left. Lawson drew up a play to save Duke's season. The Blue Devils got the ball in Jackson's hands. "Whenever my number was called," she said postgame, "I had to deliver."
She pump faked around LSU star Flau'jae Johnson and got a clean look. The ball went up, and the world seemed to stop.
"The way it went in, I felt like I was in a dream and it was just, you know, playing back over and over again before the ball went in," she said. "So just having that, it was a great feeling, for sure."
EVERY ANGLE OF ASHLON JACKSON'S GAME-WINNER😱🍿😱🍿😱🍿 @DukeWBB https://t.co/eNhT2QRFes pic.twitter.com/RIJIa618QB
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) March 28, 2026
Jackson finished the day with 19 points while Taina Mair and Toby Fournier had 22 apiece for Duke. LSU's offense was led by MiLaysia Fulwiley and Williams, who combined for 50 points.
"I thought it was an incredible game," Lawson said. "Both teams played so hard. "It was fitting it came down to the last possession. We had squandered away a little bit of a lead there late and luckily got another opportunity with two-and-a-half seconds left. And there was no doubt who I was going to in that situation.
"And just made an unbelievable play. I'm so proud of our team's resilience. It can weigh on you mentally late in the game when you squander a lead, and the other team takes it. And it can weigh on you. And we stayed so strong in those huddles."
Duke has not made the Final Four since 2006, and earning a ticket back this year will be anything but easy.
UCLA is another opponent that took Duke down early in the season, delivering the Blue Devils a 30-point loss on Thanksgiving. But the Bruins will be seeing a different Duke team on Sunday.
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