Duke Completes Sweep of UNC in Chapel Hill, Secures Top Seed for ACC Tournament

The rivalry between Duke and North Carolina is always intense, but Saturday night’s showdown in Chapel Hill felt like it had a little more edge to it. While bragging rights for Tobacco Road are always on the line, this game felt like it meant even more.

Earlier in the week, Duke entered the contest favored from 12 to 14 points, but that line began to shrink to around 8 or 9 points as the game drew closer. North Carolina had just come off a six-game win streak, entering the rivalry match hot and ready to defend home court. Meanwhile, Duke had been on a seven-game win streak of their own, dominating ACC opponents with blowout victories of 21, 36, 18, 43, 37, 35, and 33 points in their previous seven games.

As the teams took the floor, you could feel the tension in the Dean Dome. A venue once known for a more subdued wine and cheese crowd atmosphere had become electric, with the Blue Devils traveling the short 8 miles down Tobacco Road to face their rivals.


For Duke, the stakes were with a win, they would clinch the #1 seed for the ACC Tournament and extend their impressive run. For North Carolina, the stakes were higher as it was about securing a signature win against a top-tier opponent, one that could boost their NCAA Tournament chances. While Duke was already likely a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Tar Heels were and are still battling to solidify their place in March Madness.

Duke quickly asserted control in the first half, jumping out to a 29-19 lead in the first 10 minutes. It seemed like the Blue Devils were on track for another blowout victory. But as we all know, this rivalry is unpredictable. North Carolina responded with a 14-2 run and entered the locker room just one point behind, with Duke leading 43-42 at halftime.

The second half started with a surge from the Tar Heels, who took their first lead of the game, 48-45. The Dean Dome was rocking as the crowd cheered. But Duke remained poised under pressure, battling back to secure a 82-69 victory, highlighted by a spectacular dunk from Cooper Flagg in the closing moments.


After the game, head coach Jon Scheyer praised his team for their resilience. "I thought it was incredible to go through," Scheyer said in his post-game press conference. "I even said that at halftime to our team — this is great. We're always preaching inflection points in the game, and the end-of-half is one of them. We're up 15, and they cut it to one, but I knew we needed it. Even the start of the second half when we went down seven. It was a real test of your trust in those moments. And we showed we have great trust in each other in that situation."

I caught up with Kon Knueppel in the hallway after the game and asked him about his mindset heading into the postseason. "Just battle every possession. Got to battle," he said.

He’s absolutely right. This game was a battle — one that Duke needed to experience as they now enter the "win or go home" phase of the season. A battle mentality is essential for any coach, team, and player as March Madness and tournament play kicks into high gear.

​With the win over North Carolina, Duke clinches the ACC regular-season title and the #1 seed in the upcoming ACC Tournament. The Blue Devils will face the winner of the #8 Georgia Tech vs #9 Virginia game on Thursday, with a 12:00 PM tipoff on ESPN.