There were no fans in the Cameron Indoor Stadium, and neither team has qualified for the first time since 1960, but the first version of the Duke vs. North Carolina this season has met the standards of the series anyway. In the end, the Tar Heels drove their best offensive performance of the season past Duke for a 91-87 victory that the Tar Heels desperately needed.
Duke (7-7, 5-5 ACC) also enjoyed his highest scoring of the year, but defended against a team in North Carolina that was lethal, both in paint and in perimeter, just four days after he only 50 points in an ugly loss for Clemson. First-year guard Caleb Love led the way for the Tar Heels (12-6, 7-4) with a career-high 25 points, giving UNC the explosive waiting game he has had for much of the season so far .
A Duke team that scored just seven points from leading scorer Matthew Hurt remained on UNC’s heels until the last buzz. First-year forward Jalen Johnson drove to the basket with a chance to level the game, but he was whistled for eight seconds left. From there, North Carolina pitched the game on the free throw.
While a few late-throws from Leaky Black ensured the outcome, a surprising dose of 3-point shooting propelled the Tar Heels for much of the game. UNC is ranked the worst in the ACC and nationwide in most three-point shooting stats, but scores 10-out-15 from beyond the arc, with Love and Kerwin Walton making 8-out-9 to make Duke 11-of-counter. 25 night from 3-point series.