CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — What North Carolina’s 91-73 victory over Duke Saturday in the regular-season finale for both teams proved is the Tar Heels can play a high-level game. But they’ve shown that before at home in wins over Louisville and Florida State.
What remains to be seen is if Carolina (16-9, 10-6 ACC) can carry over its play outside of the Dean E. Smith Center as the postseason begins next week with the ACC tournament. The Tar Heels clinched the sixth seed in Greensboro.
The Blue Devils (11-11, 9-9) fell to the 10th seed and will have to play in the tournament’s opening round on Tuesday.
What was clear from the opening minutes of the game, is that the Tar Heels were the more focused team that played with a sense of urgency. Had it been a de facto play-in for NCAA Tournament consideration, the Heels appeared worthy of a bid.
“They played really well with a high-level of intensity,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “Their defense was outstanding and it knocked us back a bit. They were executing and we were not very good.”
It was a feel-good time for Carolina’s four seniors potentially playing in their final home game, but it didn’t start that way for forward Garrison Brooks. He injured his left foot one his first shot and headed back to the locker room just one minute into the game.
Brooks returned to the lineup with 13 minutes left and scored 14 points including two 3-pointers, which matched his total for the season.
Senior K.J. Smith, son of former UNC standout Kenny Smith, scored a basket. And Sterling Manley, who would be classified as a senior had he not been hurt all of last season, played for the first time in two seasons and scored on a lob for a dunk.
The loss could be the final blow to Duke’s NCAA Tournament hopes. But UNC coach Roy Williams didn’t appreciate the crowd’s meager attempts at chanting “N-I-T” at the Blue Devils. On at least two occasions as the chant began, Williams turned to the crowd and waved his hands instructing them to stop.
Duke center Mark Williams led the team with 18 points after scoring just two in the first meeting. Matthew Hurt, who leads the team in scoring average at 18.9 points per game, finished with 14, but he was just 2 for 10 from 3-point range.
Kerwin Walton, Caleb Love and Armando Bacot each scored 18 points for the Heels, who pulled off their second regular-season sweep of Duke in the last three seasons.
