North Carolina Tar Heels vs Duke Blue Devils Basketball Recap

North Carolina 81 – Duke 67

North Carolina evened its season series with arch-rival Duke on Saturday night in Chapel Hill, N.C., and in the process grabbed the ACC regular season title away from the defending national champions. The game was a frenzy of blue, the first CBS network broadcast of a prime-time regular season game. It showcased the two teams that are playing undoubtedly the best basketball in the ACC at the end of the regular season.

Although this was the 231st game between the rivals (Carolina leads the series 131-100), and despite the fact that this has traditionally been the final game of the regular season for both teams, this was only the sixth time that the last game of the season between the two schools would determine the top seed for the ACC tournament. UNC and Duke entered the game tied for first place in the league with 13-2 marks.

North Carolina coach Roy Williams has managed to resuscitate a program that began the season reeling, losing to Minnesota and Vanderbilt in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Classic in November, and then losing to a struggling Georgia Tech squad in the third game of its conference schedule. The Tar Heels’ revival is underscored by the fact that Carolina only lost once more after the Georgia Tech debacle: at Duke, 79-73, on February 9.  Williams lost five players this season - including the team’s point guard, Larry Drew II, on February 4 - and finished the regular season with only eight scholarship players. Still, Carolina has won 12 of its final 13 games and finished its home season undefeated for only the fourth time since moving to the Dean Smith Center 25 seasons ago. Momentum may be the greatest asset the Tar Heels bring into the postseason this year. The Tar Heels have gelled into a potent inside-outside force on offense, and a team that is very physical inside on defense.

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Duke was hampered by two fouls apiece on brothers Mason and Miles Plumlee early in the game, but the Blue Devils were able to stay close, leading 17-16 eight minutes into the first half. However, Carolina used a 14-2 run soon after that to take a 34-23 lead, and then UNC pushed Duke harder, using a relentless secondary fast break (even off made baskets by Duke) to score loads of easy baskets and lead 51-39 at the half. The Tar Heels out-rebounded the Blue Devils 24-15, had 24 points in the paint to Duke’s 10, and out-shot the Blue Devils 57.9 percent to 26.7 percent in the half before a wildly enthusiastic crowd in the Dean Dome.

Duke closed the gap to 51-46 on a fast-break two-point jumper by Kyle Singler three minutes into the second half, but that was as close as the Blue Devils would get. Duke went cold from the floor and Carolina took advantage, leading by 15 points with a minute remaining in the game before Tar Heel fans stormed the court. Carolina’s players cut down the nets to celebrate defeating Duke and winning the regular-season conference title with a 12-point victory. UNC out-shot Duke 52.5 percent to 35.5 percent for the game, had 42 rebounds to Duke’s 35, and 18 assists to Duke’s 9.

UNC’s freshman floor general Kendall Marshall – who replaced Larry Drew II at the point only a month ago – had 15 points, 11 assists, and a confident performance in an extremely high- pressure game. Freshman Harrison Barnes led Tar Heel scorers with 18 points. Forward John Henson dominated inside play against the Plumlee brothers with 10 points and 12 rebounds in addition to many altered shots on defense. UNC big man Tyler Zeller had 14 points and five rebounds in the victory for North Carolina.

Duke’s outside offense never materialized in this game: Seth Curry had all six of the team’s made three-pointers in 27 attempts. Singler, Nolan Smith, and Ryan Kelly were oh-for-15 beyond the arc. Smith led the Blue Devils with 30 points, Curry had 20, and Singler had 8 points and six rebounds in the losing effort. Miles Plumlee contributed seven points and 11 rebounds.

Carolina and Duke will be the number one and two seeds in the 2011 ACC Tournament, which begins on Thursday with first-round games in Greensboro, N.C.

By: David Minter
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer