Tar Heels beat rival Blue Devils, 93-84, maintain first place in ACC
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) -- Armando Bacot and Harrison Ingram each posted double-doubles to help No. 3 North Carolina beat No. 7 Duke 93-84 on Saturday night in the latest renewal of the fierce rivalry.
The 6-foot-11 Bacot finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds, while the 6-7 Ingram was a force all over the court with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and four steals. It was an example of how much more productive and deeper the rotation is after an offseason overhaul, which has helped UNC (18-4, 10-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) push to the top of the league standings.
That helped UNC stay in control on a night when ACC scoring leader RJ Davis faced constant defensive attention before coming on late to score 17 points despite 5-of-14 shooting.
Ingram was busy everywhere. He made 5 of 9 3-pointers, including one from the corner with Jeremy Roach within breath's reach, then had a dive-on-the-floor play in the paint to save a possession and ultimately set up a corner 3-pointer from Cormac Ryan.
It was part of a night in which UNC played with tenacity backed by a crowd roaring at ear-ringing levels to put the Blue Devils (16-5, 7-3) in a night-long uphill climb in the first matchup with both teams ranked since the 2018-19 season.
The Tar Heels led 45-35 at halftime, and never let Duke closer than eight through the second half by consistently coming up with timely scores or rebound-sealing stops.
Freshman Jared McCain had 23 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Blue Devils, while star big man Kyle Filipowski added 22 points but only five rebounds in his marquee matchup with Bacot inside.
WATCH: Tar Heels coach Hubert Davis speaks on victory over Blue Devils
The Tar Heels came in leading the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 9-1 record (17-4 overall) with the Blue Devils right behind at 7-2 in the ACC and 16-4 overall.
The Blue Devils swept the series last year.
WATCH: Duke coach John Scheyer speaks on loss against rival UNC
Saturday's game was the 49th matchup between the rivals when both teams were ranked in the AP Top 10. In the previous 48 such meetings, the teams were split perfectly evenly, with each having 24 wins and 24 losses.
The teams will meet again in Durham for Duke's Senior Day on March 9.
The next most top 10 matchups between two schools is 14 between North Carolina and North Carolina State.
UP NEXT
Duke: The Blue Devils host Notre Dame on Wednesday night.
UNC: The Tar Heels host Clemson on Tuesday night.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
