Duke Lacrosse Team Returns to NCAA Postseason Weeks After All Charges Were Dropped

Duke Lacrosse Withstands Storms

After dealing with more than 13 months of rape allegations, the Duke University men's lacrosse team returned to the field this season and entered the first-round of the sports NCAA tournament as the top seed.

Duke beat Providence University 18-3 Saturday in its tournament opener, just weeks after three of its former star players had all rape charges stemming from a party in 2006 where a woman accused them or rape.

All charges against Reade Seligmann, David Evans, and Colin Finnerty were dropped by North Carolina attorney general Roy Cooper in April. They were facing charges of first degree kidnapping and first degree forcible sexual offenses for a party in March 2006 where two private dancers had been hired to perform, one who said she was violently raped.

Through the entirety of the court proceeding, the three Duke men maintained their innocence, and even called the alleged rape a fantastic lie. Rape charges were initially dropped in December after the victim changed key details in her story.

Evans graduated from the university prior to being indicted, while Duke temporarily suspended sophomores Finnerty and Seligmann.