Duke, playing Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final game in Chapel Hill, hit North Carolina early, then survived a Carolina run and finally hit the Tar Heels at the beginning of the second half to win going away, 87-67. (2/5)
The Blue Devils got out to an 11-2 lead before then Carolina’s Armando Bacot picked up his second foul. With Bacot on the bench, Duke continued its 26-6 run to take a 31-8 lead midway through the first half.
After Bacot returned, the Tar Heels, behind Brady Manek outside and Bacot inside, went on a 20-8 run to close out the half. Manek had nine while Bacot had eight during the run that ended with Duke still up 11 at 39-28.
But the Blue Devils, more specifically A.J. Griffin, came out in the second half and pretty much ended Carolina’s chances in the first three minutes.
Coach K said he didn’t say anything magical at the half. “I just told them that we won the first 12 and they won the next eight. If they start out the first four like the last eight, they’re going to beat us. But if we start out the first four like we did the first 12 then we’re going to win,” he said.
Not only did Duke play strong defense to start the second half but Griffin couldn’t miss, hitting four in a row, including a pair of threes. Before Carolina got its footing, the Devils’ 12-0 run had the visitors right back up to a 23-point lead at 51-28.
It never got closer than 16 the rest of the way as the lead ballooned to 28 late.
“They punched us in the mouth at the beginning of the game and at the beginning of the second half,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said. “We were playing catch up pretty much the whole game.”
After Bacot picked up his two quick fouls early, teammate Leaky Black took over manning Duke freshman sensation Paolo Banchero, who had led the Devils averaging 18 points per game but finished this game with just 13 and it took 14 shots to get it.
But Duke has so many weapons and this night the Devils turned to freshman Griffin, a high school teammate of UNC’s R.J. Davis, who scored a season-high 27 points.
Carolina was led by Manek’s 21 points, 15 of which came in the first half. Caleb Love, whose best games of the season last year came in wins against Duke, had an off game, missing four of five three-point attempts and was just three of 10 shooting overall with four turnovers.
He wasn’t the only cold shooter for Carolina as the team finished shooting just 41 percent from the floor while Duke shot a sizzling 58 percent.
North Carolina, now 16-7 overall and 8-4 in the ACC, plays at Clemson Tuesday. Duke holds on to first in the ACC with a 19-3 overall and 9-2 league record.
For a box score and more on the game, please click here.
