CHARLOTTE -- Nearly five years since the retirement of North Carolina's legendary coach Dean Smith, and almost 20 years since the institution of the shot clock, the Tar Heels' famous "four corners" offense returned in the first round of the ACC Tournament.
Drastically slowing down the tempo of a game predicted to be the third and final blowout of an uncompetitive season series, North Carolina (8-20) hung surprisingly tough with the Blue Devils (27-3) throughout the matchup, before finally succumbing, 60-48.
Despite the mere 12-point of margin of victory for his second-seeded team, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was pleased with the Blue Devils' play and believed the contest was a positive learning experience for the postseason.
"I thought we played really well in a game we hadn't played in before," said Krzyzewski, referring to the slowdown tactics employed by the Tar Heels, who kept the usually running-and-gunning Blue Devils out of rhythm. "I thought our defense was excellent and that's why we won. At the end of the game, to be put in that type of game pressure allowed our kids had to respond. And they hit every shot."
Despite shooting a lowly 9-of-23 in each half, Duke hit a number of big shots with the game still in doubt. With 9:25 left in the game, the Tar Heels cut Duke's lead to five points after trailing by as much as 10 earlier in the half. But Blue Devil guard Jason Williams drilled a jumpshot and a three-pointer on successive possessions to give Duke a double-digit cushion.
Later, when North Carolina once again reduced Duke's advantage to five with four-and-a-half minutes remaining, Williams responded by stealing the ball from the Tar Heels' Melvin Scott on the left side of the backcourt that the New Jersey native quickly converted into an acrobatic right-handed jam. The steal was one of 17 North Carolina turnovers on the night compared to only three by Duke, and represented a momemtum-changing play that Krzyzewski highlighted after the game.
"It was one of the more spectacular plays I've seen a kid make for me, especially in that type of situation," Krzyzewski said of Williams' steal and subsequent slam. "I think there are times we take for granted some of things that [Williams] does."
After UNC failed to strike back from Williams' blow, the junior ran the left baseline and received a pass from Chris Duhon to drain another three, which increased the Blue Devils' lead to 10. Two minutes later, Duhon nailed the Tar Heels' coffin shut with a trey from the top of the key, halting any chance of an upset and sealing Duke's advance into the tournament semifinals.
With the contest all but over, Krzyzewski embraced North Carolina seniors Kris Lang and Jason Capel as they left the court for the final time, while the often aggressive rivals shook hands as time expired.
"That showed a lot of respect for Duke; they're a class act. Coach K is a great guy, along with the players," said Lang, who appeared melancholy but content after the game. "It's just a rivalry-the media goes on with the games, but off the court, we're friends. We hang out in the summer time and play pickup games. It's been a blessing playing with those guys; they're a great bunch of guys and they're very good on the court."
Although Lang discussed his respect for the Blue Devils after the game, he demonstrated his own skills during the game, leading Carolina with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field. The Gastonia native proved to be a constant thorn in Duke's side, saddling Blue Devil center Carlos Boozer with foul trouble and scoring often when the shot clock was about to expire.
Lang's constant presence in the lane, coupled with North Carolina's strategy of holding the ball for 20-25 seconds on nearly every offensive possession, frustrated a Duke team that hoped to dominate the Tar Heels from the outset.
Instead, the Blue Devils were unable to pull away, never leading by more than 12 in the first half and being forced to stay patient as UNC-which implemented its slow style offense only four days before the start of the tourney-pressed its delaying tactics.
After taking an early 6-5 lead four minutes into the ballgame, Duke did not hold an advantage again until it went up 14-12 with 9:01 remaining in the first half. From that point on, the Blue Devils held their lead, but could not deliver the knockout blow that it has executed in end-of-half situations so many times this season. At the half, much to the pleasure of most of the Charlotte Coliseum crowd, Duke clung to a six-point advantage.
With his overmatched team displaying such resiliency, Doherty praised the Tar Heels' effort in the face of such a seemingly insurmountable task. In addition, he expressed his pride in the performance of the 2001-2002 Tar Heels, whose season is now over.
"You might think I'm crazy, but it's been a great year," Doherty said. "We came in that locker room, and it him me that this group will never be together again.
"These kids are great kids [and have] great character.... They trusted, they believed, they listened, and they led."
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