No. 9 Duke left it all on the court in coach Mike Krzyzewski's final road game against North Carolina as the Blue Devils defeated the Tar Heels 87-67. Duke capitalized on a pair of strong runs to start each half — 13-2 to start the game and a 12-0 run to stat the second half — to distance itself from its Tobacco Road rival.
North Carolina forward Armando Bacot, who averages a double-double, was assigned to guard Duke star freshman Paolo Banchero to start the game and Bacot picked up two fouls before the first media timeout and was sent to the bench, as the Blue Devils pulled away. North Carolina forward Brady Manek kept the game from getting too out of hand in the first half and North Carolina coach Hubert Davis put Bacot back in the game to stop the bleeding, as North Carolina cut Duke's lead to 39-28 at halftime.
But the Blue Devils' run to start the second half, fueled by 10 consecutive points by AJ Griffin, who finished with a game-high and career-high 27 points, helped put the game out of reach. Manek finished with 21 points, but North Carolina lacked the offensive firepower and defensive fortitude to stop a Duke team that shot 57 percent from the field and 47 percent from deep.
For a more in-depth recap of Coach K's final game at Chapel Hill, click here.
