Duke vs. San Diego State: Score and Twitter Reaction from March Madness 2015

After watching No. 1 Villanova and No. 2 Virginia fall prey to upsets in the past 24 hours, more than a few top seeds were probably feeling a bit vulnerable Sunday. Duke wasn't one of them.

The Blue Devils cruised past San Diego State in their round-of-32 matchup, 68-49, having never trailed in the contest. It was the performance of a national championship contender, and Duke's defensive energy and pressure—it finished with seven steals and helped force 11 Aztec turnovers—was perhaps the most impressive aspect of the win.

Well, that and the performance of freshman superstar Jahlil Okafor, who finished with 26 points on 12-of-16 shooting, six rebounds and three blocks.

After the game, Okafor told reporters what winning a national championship would mean to him.

"It would mean the world to me," the stud freshman said. "I've always wanted to win a national title. ... That's what [the freshmen] came to Duke to have an opportunity to win a national title. That is where all of my focus has been this season, and that is what it still is."

Freshman forward Justise Winslow also came up huge for the Blue Devils, notching a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds while adding five assists, four steals and three blocks for good measure.

ESPN Stats & Info provided some additional numbers:

Following the loss, Aztecs head coach Steve Fisher talked to the media about the challenges Duke's stars pose.

"Okafor is a load," Fisher said. "He is hard to guard. ... But he's not the lone ranger. Winslow can play. They have a terrific team, and they can play. They played like a No. 1 team today."

Winston Shepard (13 points, five rebounds) led the way for San Diego State.

Winslow's complete performance had more than a few folks buzzing. ESPN's Seth Greenberg thinks a role change for Winslow sparked the Blue Devils:

ESPN's Jeff Borzello, meanwhile, wasn't surprised by Winslow's showing:

San Diego State was one of the better defensive teams in the country this year, holding opponents to just 53.5 points per game. The fact that the Blue Devils cut through that defense like a hot knife through butter, shooting 54.5 percent from the field, is a testament to just how good they are. 

As Andy Glockner of The Cauldron noted, Duke made the win look like a walk in the park:

One of the school's most famous alums, Christian Laettner, was certainly pumped about the win:

The Blue Devils opened up on fire in this contest, scoring the first eight points and racing out to an early 18-6 lead. Things would only get worse for San Diego State from there, as Duke went into the half leading 37-24 behind Okafor's 18 first-half points.

He was basically unstoppable in the paint, as ESPN Stats & Info tweeted:

It also helped that Duke protected the rock in the first half, something most prior opponents couldn't do against San Diego State:

Still, the Aztecs appeared as though they might make a game out of this one in the second half, cutting Duke's lead to 44-37 with 12:45 remaining via back-to-back three-pointers from Malik Pope. Duke promptly rattled off the next 11 points, however, and outscored the Aztecs 24-12 the rest of the way.

The Blue Devils are now headed to the Sweet 16, where a very good, very balanced Utah team awaits them. Of course, given the way Duke dismantled San Diego State, the Utes are going to need to play error-free basketball to pull off the upset. 

The Blue Devils also continued an excellent tournament for the state of North Carolina, as David Teel of the Daily Press noted:

While North Carolina and NC State have impressed thus far, Duke showed Sunday why it is the most likely of the three to make a deep run in this tourney.

Behind Okafor and Winslow, the Blue Devils look like a tough out for any team in the country, even mighty Kentucky.