No. 1 Duke broke open what had been a five-point game at halftime with a smothering defensive performance in the second half, pulling away from UNC for a 76-61 win in the regular-season finale in Durham Saturday night.

With Caleb Wilson sidelined after breaking his right thumb in practice during the week, the Carolina offense could not break through the Blue Devil defense. The Tar Heels had cut the halftime deficit to just one point at 41-40, but Duke used a dominant 24-2 run in the middle of the second half to bury Carolina in a 71-46 hole. In addition, the Tar Heels committed 14 turnovers, which led to 24 Duke points. UNC only managed four points off Duke’s eight turnovers. Duke also dominated the glass in the second half, outrebounding Carolina 24-10 in the final 20 minutes.

“They just played with a lot more effort,” said senior guard Seth Trimble. “When that happens and you’re on the road in a venue like Duke, it’s gonna be hard to win.”

Trimble finished with 10 points and a team-high six assists in his final road game against the Blue Devils. Derek Dixon led the way for Carolina with 17 points and five made three-pointers. For Duke, Cameron Boozer dominated with 26 points, 15 rebounds and five assists.

Henri Veesaar scored 11 points and added nine rebounds, but the seven-footer was held in check as Duke ran away with the game in the second half. After scoring nine points on six shots in the first half, Veesaar managed only two points on one shot in the second.

“They did a really good job… guarding the pick-and-rolls,” Veesaar said afterward. “We couldn’t get the ball out. We got no advantage in screens. That’s something we have to work on.”

Duke’s Maliq Brown played a key role in guarding Veesaar on defense, and the Syracuse transfer added 15 points and nine rebounds on his senior night.

UNC ends the regular season with a 24-7 overall record and 12-6 mark in ACC play. The Tar Heels will be back in action Thursday night as the No. 4 seed in the ACC Tournament in Charlotte. Their quarterfinal matchup is scheduled to tip off at 9:30 p.m.

 

Featured image via Associated Press/Ben McKeown

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