UNC beats Duke 90-83
CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina -- After an epic game with two dozen lead changes and nearly a dozen ties, UNC came out on top over Duke in Chapel Hill Saturday night.
After the game, happy UNC fans rushed out onto Franklin Street to celebrate with traditional fires.
Joel Berry II scored 28 points - including a critical late-game burst of seven straight for his team - to help No. 5 North Carolina hold off No. 17 Duke.
Isaiah Hicks added 21 points for the Tar Heels, who battled through a nearly shot-for-shot fight with their fiercest rival to finish unbeaten at home. The game featured 24 lead changes and 14 ties before UNC (26-6, 14-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) finally pushed ahead for good in the final six minutes, with its final margin the biggest lead for either team all night.
Berry shot 9 of 14 and made all five of his 3-pointers to offset a tougher shooting night for leading scorer and ACC player of the year candidate Justin Jackson.
Luke Kennard, another league player of the year contender, finished with 28 points to lead the Blue Devils (23-8, 11-7).
North Carolina shot 51 percent and finished with a 15-5 edge in second-chance points, helping to offset a busy night for Duke at the foul line. The Blue Devils made 28 of 35 free throws but missed four - three by Grayson Allen - in the final 3 minutes as Berry made his move.
Duke shot 54 percent in the first half but just 37 percent after halftime.
After the game, Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski congratulated his opponent.
Duke guard Grayson Allen received a technical foul for elbowing North Carolina guard Brandon Robinson in the face late in the first half of the rivalry game.
Allen had the ball with Robinson guarding him, and as the Duke guard drove by him, his left elbow caught Robinson in the face with 3:09 left in the first half.
The officials called a blocking foul on Robinson, then reviewed the play and added the technical foul on Allen. He made two free throws before Joel Berry II hit the two foul shots awarded to North Carolina for the technical.
Duke suspended Allen from the team for one game earlier this season after he was caught tripping an opponent for the third time in roughly a year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
