Re: UNC vs. Duke - NCAA

Defense carries Duke again, stops Carolina
By Dick Vitale
SPECIAL TO ESPN.COM

DURHAM, North Carolina — It was only fitting that Duke's defense made
the difference in the final moments of another classic in the greatest
rivalry in college sports.

The Blue Devils did a great job negating North Carolina's running game
in a 71-70 victory over their ACC rival Wednesday night. Duke stopped
the transition offense that helped the Tar Heels average 92.2 points
per game before their visit to Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Down one point with less than 20 seconds left, North Carolina put the
ball in the hands of its creative Thomas Edison point guard,
"Everybody Loves" Raymond Felton. He wanted to penetrate but had no
place to go, and then he picked up his dribble early.

What an amazing job defensively as the Tar Heels failed to get off a
final shot.

Duke made this a five-on-five game for most of the intense evening. It
is hard to describe the incredible intensity involved between these
two ACC powers. The Blue Devils controlled the tempo and flow of the
game.

Duke guards J.J. Redick and Daniel Ewing were able to hit some big
shots, and center Shelden Williams was a force inside. Williams became
the first player in Duke history to have at least five blocks and five
steals in the same game.

One key for the Dukies was a surprise. Diaper dandy DeMarcus Nelson
gave the Blue Devils quality minutes and was so effective, hitting
several key shots. He was the unsung hero for coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Teams always have a chance to win when they can score from the
perimeter. Redick couldn't get many open looks and had to work hard to
get his shots. But he still found a way to come through, the sign of a
true All-American. Give Carolina guard Jackie Manuel a lot of credit
for a great performance guarding Redick.

Tar Heels center Sean May had a phenomenal game for North Carolina (23
points, 14 boards). He established good position inside and fought
hard.

The bottom line was that North Carolina couldn't get its fast break
going. Turnovers were also a factor, as coach Roy Williams' club gave
the ball away 23 times. North Carolina started executing in its
halfcourt sets better in the second half to rally from a seven-point
halftime deficit.

You also have to give credit to Duke's sixth man: The Cameron Crazies
were as loud as ever, and those great fans gave the Blue Devils
momentum early. You could tell that the players felt the fans'
emotion, which helped propel them to an early 10-2 lead. What an
incredible feeling when the game was over, baby!

These two programs respect each other. They know each other's
tendencies. It was a great, great college basketball game. And on this
night, the Blue Devils enjoyed a celebration.

That said, nothing has changed in my mind: I still feel that North
Carolina will cut down the nets in St. Louis when March Madness is
done.

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