The latest installment of the best college basketball rivalry in the country didn’t happen at Cameron Indoor Stadium, or the Dean Dome. It happened in Brooklyn.
Duke and North Carolina faced off in the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament March 10, before a boisterous crowd of diehard fans packed into Barclays Center.
When it was over, Duke’s Blue Devils walked off the court with a 93–83 victory — and a berth in the NCAA championship series — but the game felt a bit like the title before the title, another postseason clash for the ages.
“Another great game. Holy mackerel,” said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. “Tonight we beat an outstanding team, obviously a team that can win the national title. Did a great job of winning our regular season.”
Of course, there’s plenty of history between the two squads, but Friday’s semifinal matchup was particularly special.
It was just the second time Carolina and Duke squared off in New York, and only the fifth time the teams played outside the boundaries of North Carolina. It was a big-time victory for a Blue Devils squad that was playing its their third game in three days.
“I mean it’s huge,” said Luke Kennard, who finished with 20 points. “Each win is a big win for us, and today was another one. It’s time to move on to the next one, and we’re excited for it.”
Historically, the Tar Heels struggle against Duke in the conference tournament — notching a current record of 8–13 against the Blue Devils in March — and the Brooklyn tilt was no different. North Carolina controlled the game early, jumping out to a 49–42 lead at the break, but couldn’t maintain momentum down the stretch as the Blue Devils hit their stride as the minutes ticked down.
Duke outscored Carolina 51–34 in the second half and wrapped up the final 12:33 of regulation on a 42–22 run.
“(We) put them on the free-throw line way, way, way too much,” Tar Heels coach Roy Williams said. “We had some foul trouble, and some of those were silly fouls. It’s my job to make sure that…we’re more disciplined than we were.”
By the final whistle, the cheers generated by Blue Devils fans in the crowd drowned out the near-constant boos from Carolina enthusiasts whenever Duke’s controversial star Grayson Allen touched the ball. “When I’m coming off the bench, I’m just trying to give energy,” said Allen, who hit his first four three-point attempts.
There was never a question that both teams would advance to the NCAA Tournament, but this matchup wasn’t about that. This was about pride and bragging rights and bringing a bit of college basketball’s best to Brooklyn.. Mission accomplished.
“We just said we’ve got a chance if we can keep winning, with a chance to play against the best in the conference,” Krzyzewski said. “It’s been the best.”
