Of course quite a bit has changed in Durham, as the Blue Devils have dealt with a string of on- and off-the-court issues unlike virtually any team in recent memory.
All Joel Berry could do was walk toward the bench.
And shoot he did. Krzyzewski admitted as much after the glow wore off, reminding everyone that, were it not for Allen’s four 3-pointers in succession in the first half, everyone might be telling a completely different story today. Each buried trifecta brought louder and louder cheers from the Duke fans, and served to quiet his critics on the other side.
Isaiah Hicks led the way for UNC, making his first five field goals en route to a team-leading 19 points. But Allen hit a fourth three-point shot to keep the margin from getting worse.
That’s specifically true on the offensive end, where the Blue Devils once again proved that they’re as explosive as anyone in the country. I love him for that, and these guys know that too, and they love him. North Carolina struggled to stay in front of their guards, and, thanks to some swift officiating, was sending Duke to the line at a rapid pace.
Jayson Tatum answered Meeks’ basket with a fast break dunk.
Meanwhile, Krzyzewski was praising his team’s resilience. For me, just when I’m coming off the bench, I’m just coming in and trying to give energy.
The play marked the start of the Tar Heels’ decline, although a Justin Jackson 3-pointer and a Kennedy Meeks putback on the next two possessions to push their lead to 61-48 offered hope they could persevere.
The loss was a part of a four-game slide for the Irish, who have since rebounded to win eight of their last nine games behind forward Bonzie Colson, who finished third in ACC Player of the Year voting. The Blue Devils are doing it the hard way.
But keeping his head up meant Berry had to watch as Duke began its comeback against the North Carolina men’s basketball team. I’ve never taken a team, ” Williams said. “We stay ourselves, and that’s what it’s been about, and we’ve really grown from that”.
Perhaps the team we always thought it would be. They have the possible No. 1 pick in the National Basketball Association draft in freshman forward Jayson Tatum and the leading vote getter for first-team All-ACC in sophomore guard Luke Kennard. Without him, UNC couldn’t get anything to go their way.
The Tar Heels shot 53 percent from the floor, along with 21 points on 15 Miami turnovers. But what they really want is another shot at Duke. They were very active on the ball screen. “North Carolina was still playing Duke”.
“I think so, in a way”, he said.
“They know how to score from it, and they know how to defend it”, Krzyzewski observed. We’re a great program. Giles replaced Amile Jefferson, and Duke became another team. Tatum poured in 24, Kennard added 20, Allen 18 and Jackson 15.
Through all the injuries, through all the logic that said Harry Giles shouldn’t suit up for Duke this season, he remained steadfast in his work and belief. The lead only grew in the final care-free minutes, and the Hurricanes were held to 24 points in the second half.