Duke is the team that entered Saturday’s hostile showdown with North Carolina in desperate need of a win to resume its NCAA Tournament. But the Tar Hills were the team that played with a sense of urgency in the first half, as they opened the lead 42-26 entering the break.
The UNC used its size advantage to gain early underlying dominance and then got some timely 3-pointers to prevent the Blue Devils from narrowing the deficit during a poor shooting start. Notably, Duke’s leading scorer Matthew Hart struggled in the first half, leaving the duo scoreless for about 19 minutes before the duo got a late bucket to keep the duke within bouncing distance.
The win will complete a regular-season sweep for UNC, which won its first game 91-87 a month ago. According to Jerry Palm, they will also strengthen the resumption of the NCAA Tournament in Tar Hills after entering as the projected No. 11 seed on Saturday. If the Duke wants to save his chances for such a big bid, he may need to stage a historic rally in the second half.
