The greatest rivalry in college basketball delivered an instant classic once again, and against all odds. There was every reason to think Duke would take care of the Tar Heels in at least a relative cakewalk. The Tar Heels are not the Tar Heels we are used to by any stretch. Yet once more, the game was one to remember.
All the same, North Carolina would surely love to forget it. To say they would love to have this game back might be the understatement of the year, and we’re only 40 days in.
With over four minutes left, North Carolina led by 13. They had a lead around double digits for a good portion of the game; it had to surprise some people given that this team had trouble scoring even with Cole Anthony before he got hurt, though they have been better at the offensive end of late. Not long after they pushed the lead to 13, Vernon Carey Jr. fouled out for Duke. At that point, you had to think the Tar Heels just might take this, that we might just have to throw the records out for this rivalry game after all.
But Tre Jones had other ideas. He scored six straight Duke points in the final minute as Duke chipped away at the lead thanks in part to the Tar Heels’ ineptness at the free throw line. North Carolina missed five free throws in the final 71 seconds, setting up an 84-81 Tar Heel lead after Andrew Platek made the second of two with six seconds left. This time around, the Tar Heels fouled before a three-pointer could be attempted, and Jones hit the first free throw. He fired the second one and hit the rim solidly, and he chased the ball as it caromed out to the right wing. He then drove left, almost losing the ball to a defender, put up a tough shot and hit it to send the game to overtime.
At that point, the Tar Heels had to be as deflated as could be. This had to be the psychological blow of psychological blows.
In fact, it sure looked like it into overtime, where Jones went on a personal 6-1 run to put Duke up five just over a minute into the extra session. But give the Tar Heels credit, as they rallied at the time their toughness was being sternly tested. They would slowly go on an 11-1 run, capped off by seven unanswered points and in between trying to have enough bodies to go into the game between injuries and players fouling out, and lead 96-91 with 21 seconds left.
Once again, it looked like the Tar Heels just might pull this one out after all.
But Jones scored again and was fouled, the Blue Devils got an offensive rebound on the missed free throw and then got a basket to get within one. North Carolina then struggled to inbound the ball and ultimately turned it over. That meant Duke had one more chance.
Jones was fouled and again at the line. He tied the game by making the first free throw, but this time missed the second one unintentionally, and Wendell Moore Jr. got another offensive rebound. Jones would get another shot and airball it, but Moore was right there to grab it and lay it in before the buzzer to give Duke a 98-96 victory and break North Carolina’s hearts. The Blue Devils led for only 107 seconds of the entire game.
When you lose a close game, there are bound to be many things, not just one, that you can look back on that might have led to a different outcome. For North Carolina, nothing will stand out more in that regard than their showing at the free throw line, where they were 21-38. It marked the most missed free throws in a game in this rivalry in over half a century.
Side Dishes
For more on many of Saturday’s games, please see the Saturday Notes.
In their 99-81 loss at Florida State, Miami got back Chris Lykes and Kameron McGusty, but didn’t have their full team as they had to go without starting center Rodney Miller Jr. due to a left ankle injury. The junior injured the ankle against NC State on Wednesday night, while Lykes sat the prior four games and McGusty three of the prior four due to injuries. The Hurricanes have been short-handed much of the season.
Tonight’s Menu
A lighter slate is on tap after a busy Saturday, and the entire set of games will be done a little earlier than usual.
- The day starts with an American Athletic Conference battle as UConn hosts surging Cincinnati (noon), then later on Houston hosts Wichita State (3 p.m.)
- Also getting things going right away is a Big East battle as Butler travels to Marquette (noon)
- The Big Ten slate gets going with a battle of two teams that could use a win as Ohio State visits Wisconsin (1 p.m.), then the last game of the day is Rutgers hosting Northwestern (6:30 p.m.)
- A rare pair of Sunday Ivy League games are on tap as Columbia hosts Princeton and Cornell hosts Penn (2 p.m.)
- The lone Pac-12 game on tap is a battle of in-state rivals as Washington State hosts Washington (6 p.m.)
