NCAA on Sling: #8 North Carolina at #17 Duke
#8 Tar Heels @ #17 Blue Devils (6:30pm ET Saturday, ESPN)
It’s the final regular season game of the year for two of the most storied teams in college basketball: the Tar Heels roll down Tobacco Road to confront the Cameron Crazies and the Blue Devils.
The Heels have struggled of late, losing four of their last nine games, but, on Monday, they defeated Syracuse 75-70 as coach Roy Williams started an all-senior lineup for the team’s final home game. The senior bench players soon gave way to the younger starters, however, creating an upside-down box score that showed the UNC subs scoring 53 points. But it was still senior starter Brice Johnson, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, who was tops in both categories with 14 points and 10 boards. The Tar Heels are 24-6, 13-4 in the ACC, and a win would mean at least a share of the conference title – it would be all theirs if Miami loses earlier in the day.
After defeating three ranked teams in a row – Louisville, Virginia and UNC – the Blue Devils fell to Louisville and Pitt in the span of nine days. But they took care of business on Tuesday, beating Wake Forest 79-71. Grayson Allen was the star of the show, scoring 30 points thanks largely to making 14 of 19 free throws while Marshall Plumlee contributed 13 points and 17 rebounds. Duke is 22-8, 11-6 in the ACC.
Watch the #8 North Carolina Tar Heels vs. #17 Duke Blue Devils at 6:30pm ET Saturday on ESPN.
All stats courtesy ESPN and Basketball Reference.