No. 17 Duke could not overcome a beating on the boards in a 76-72 defeat to No. 8 North Carolina to finish the regular season. With the loss the Blue Devils dropped to the No. 5 seed in next week's ACC Tournament and will begin action Wednesday against the winner of N.C. State and Wake Forest.
Revisiting the three keys to the game:
- Be effective and efficient from the field: The Blue Devils struggled mightily to find the back of the net no matter where they shot from Saturday night. Duke shot just 37 percent from the floor, but hung in the game largely due to 13 triples. Although the team was able to swing the ball around the perimeter as the game progressed, the Blue Devils missed on multiple opportunities to keep the game from getting away late. Duke desperately needed more from the duo of Derryck Thornton and Matt Jones, which combined for just eight points on 3-of-12 shooting.
- Contain Brice Johnson: After putting up a 29-point, 19-rebound performance in the teams' matchup in Chapel Hill, Johnson was back at it again with 18 points and 21 boards Saturday. Although the senior shot only 6-of-15 from the floor, the big man was a menace on the offensive glass and finished with 12 offensive rebounds. With the Blue Devils playing a 2-3 zone due to freshman Brandon Ingram's foul trouble, Johnson took advantage by catching and feeding or finishing from the free-throw line. The Orangeburg, S.C., native was finally able to come up with a win at Cameron Indoor Stadium and was deserving of it after a hard-fought performance on both ends of the floor.
- Take advantage of home court: Despite playing in front of a raucous home crowd, the Blue Devils started slow as has become customary in their matchups against North Carolina. The Tar Heels jumped out to a quick 8-2 lead and led by as many as 11 in the first half. But Duke would rally around the Crazies and slowly chip away at the margin until a pull-up three by Grayson Allen tied the game midway through the second-half. Ultimately, not even the hostile atmosphere could faze North Carolina, which refused to give away the game at the foul line.
Three key stats
- North Carolina finishes with a 64-29 rebounding advantage: The Blue Devils size deficit was magnified to the highest degree Saturday as the team was forced to defend extra possessions time and time again. The Tar Heels duo of Kennedy Meeks and Brice Johnson combined for 35 rebounds—more than Duke's entire team. The Blue Devils allowed 27 offensive rebounds in the loss, which translated into 20 second-chance points. If Duke hopes to progress deep into March, it must fix its rebounding issues.
- Duke never holds the lead: Despite making a run in the second-half, this was a game that North Carolina largely dominated. After playing from behind for almost the entirety of the first matchup, the Blue Devils were forced to rally again, but simply could not hit enough shots late. Playing in his last game at Duke, graduate student Marshall Plumlee was unable to have much of an impact on the game and left the court at Cameron Indoor Stadium for the final time in a disappointing fashion.
- North Carolina hits last eight free-throws in final 26 seconds of the game: With the pressure at its highest, the Tar Heels delivered by calmly stepping to the line and nailing free-throws. Forward Theo Pinson hit a pair to put the team up six with 26 seconds remaining. After a three by Allen, guard Joel Berry II sunk his two at the line to keep North Carolina ahead. In fitting fashion, senior Marcus Paige would be the one to ice the game as he hit four clutch free throws late to preserve the victory for the Tar Heels. Overall, North Carolina finished 20-of-23 from the charity stripe.
Three key plays
- 11:22 remaining, first half: With the Blue Devils trailing by eight, Ingram is whistled for a foul after making contact with Justin Jackson. The call on the freshman was his second personal and sent him to the bench for the remainder of the half. Although Duke rallied without Ingram in the game, the freshman was never able to get in the flow of the game and struggled in the second half.
- 11:56 remaining, second half: After pulling within a single possession, Allen comes off a Plumlee screen and drills a straight-on triple to tie the game for the Blue Devils. The guard's basket was as close as Duke would come in the game and North Carolina was able to regain control of the game in the following minutes.
- 7:59 remaining, second half: Kennard finishes with a layup on offense after the Blue Devils dodge a bullet defensively with seven consecutive misses by the Tar Heels. Perhaps no sequence was more indicative of the way the game went for Duke as the team allowed six offensive rebounds during the course of a single possession.
And the Duke game ball goes to....Grayson Allen
The Wooden Award Finalist had a strong game on the stat sheet with 29 points, four rebounds and five assists but could not will his team to victory. Allen played with the kind of aggressiveness Blue Devil fans have grown accustomed to, but attempted just two free throws. Instead, the guard showcased his strengths on the perimeter where he canned six 3-pointers to keep Duke within distance. Although Allen eventually fouled out, he capped off a strong regular season with another solid game against North Carolina.
And the North Carolina game ball goes to....Brice Johnson
The forward was the difference-maker again for the Tar Heels and fueled his team's massive rebounding advantage. Unlike the first matchup between the squads, head coach Roy Williams continued to back to Johnson time and time again in the middle of Duke's zone. When plays weren't called for the senior, the big man took it upon himself to search out the ball on the offensive glass and make the Blue Devils pay. After three years of stinging defeats, Johnson was finally able to get the win at Cameron Indoor Stadium he really wanted.
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