No. 1 North Carolina 76, No. 6 Duke 68: North Carolina Pulls Away From Duke:
North Carolina beat Duke in a finish that will no doubt be added to the list of highlight-reel games that have marked the series.
“Tyler Hansbrough’s layup with just over two minutes to go broke a 68-68 tie and Ty Lawson added a pair of free throws and a crucial steal as North Carolina (29-2) staved off a comeback by Duke (26-4) and held on for the victory. Lawson missed on his layup, but the ball was tipped in by Danny Green with under a minute to go for a decisive 6-point advantage. North Carolina scored 10 consecutive points to overcome a 2-point deficit in the final minutes.”
“The teams had come in with identical 13-2 record in the A.C.C., the fifth time in this long series that the title had come down to the final game of the season. But that was not all that weighed on the Tar Heels. This had been an emotional week in Chapel Hill, 10 miles down the road from Duke. And for once, the two teams set aside their rivalry long enough to stand together for a moment of silence to honor Eve Carson, the North Carolina student body president who was found shot to death near the campus early Wednesday morning.”
“The Tar Heels, wearing an ‘EVE‘ patch on the shoulders of their jerseys, proceeded to outplay Duke in a first half that would have been a runaway for North Carolina if not for Blue Devils point guard Greg Paulus. Green scored 14 points off the bench to pace the Tar Heels as they pulled away for a 42-31 lead in the opening half.”
Via NYT > Home Page
