Ryan, No. 7 North Carolina turn back No. 9 Duke 84-79 to claim outright ACC regular-season crown
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) North Carolina didn't waste its opportunity to celebrate the program's first outright Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title in seven years on the homecourt of fierce rival Duke.
The seventh-ranked Tar Heels gathered by the midcourt sideline near the “Cameron Crazies” and waved goodbye in a taunting farewell, only to be answered by several people throwing water and empty plastic bottles at them in frustration.
No matter, figured the Tar Heels. Not after Saturday night's 84-79 win that secured the top seed in the ACC Tournament and a season sweep of the ninth-ranked Blue Devils that saw UNC trail for just 16 seconds between the two games.
“I definitely think it was uncalled for, but I mean, it's a rivalry game so I kind of expected it,” UNC guard RJ Davis said with a smile. “We're still going to enjoy it at the end of the day.”
Cormac Ryan scored a career-high 31 points, shooting 8 of 12 from the field and 6 of 8 on 3-pointers to help the Tar Heels (25-6, 17-3 ACC) turn away push after push from Duke - and Ryan made sure to let the fans hear it with some fired-up reactions.
He closed out the game with two clinching free throws with 4.7 seconds left.
“We knew what it meant. We knew what was at stake,” Ryan said. “And to walk out of this building is always nice.”
Harrison Ingram added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Tar Heels, who shot 50% for the game. UNC ran out to a 15-point lead with a dominant start, then stayed in control all night.
UNC big man Armando Bacot, who had nine points and eight rebounds, said the key was following the instructions of assistant coach Jeff Lebo during a halftime message with the Tar Heels up 40-31.
“He told us there was going to be a point in the game when they came back, but we just had to stay poised and not do too much out of the regular," Bacot said.
To that point, Duke (24-7, 15-5) got within a single point on Jeremy Roach's 3-pointer at the 16:59 mark. But the Blue Devils never completely erased the deficit and never led, leading to second-year coach Jon Scheyer apologizing to the front row of Crazies afterward.
“I'm sorry,” he told them. “We're going to keep going, we're going to get this right."
Kyle Filipowski had 23 points to lead the Blue Devils, who had retired Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski making a rare courtside appearance for the game.
“We didn't play our best basketball overall,” Filipowski said, adding: “We're still one of the best teams in the country. Our season's not defined by UNC."
BIG PICTURE
UNC: The Tar Heels had clinched a share of the ACC regular-season crown with Tuesday's win against Notre Dame in their home finale, marking their first share of a title since the 2018-19 season.
Duke: The Blue Devils had been steadily building momentum in recent weeks, winning eight of nine since the loss at UNC and winning their last three games by 15-plus points. But they struggled for stops and in keeping the Tar Heels off the glass (outrebounded 39-28). It didn't help that Roach had a rough night (13 points on 3-for-12 shooting) on the perimeter alongside Jared McCain (19 points) and Tyrese Proctor (14).
TANGLED UP
There was also a familiar bit of rivalry testiness aside from the drink-throwing fans. That came after Filipowski and Ingram ended up on the floor after Duke’s star big man contested Ingram’s shot at the six-minute mark of the first half.
As Ingram got up to run back on defense, Filipowski kicked up his right leg and tripped Ingram back down to the hardwood near midcourt.
UNC coach Hubert Davis immediately started frantically motioning for officials to look at the replay, but there was no whistle, stoppage or review as the rivalry battle continued.
Afterward, Filipowski denied it was intentional, though Ingram - who said he hadn't seen a replay - said he felt it was a trip at the time.
UP NEXT
Both teams await their matchups for next week's ACC Tournament in the nation's capital.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | Armando Bacot vs. Kyle Filipowski (Tar Heels gains possession) | |||
19:43 | +2 | Harrison Ingram makes two point jump shot | 2-0 | |
19:24 | Jeremy Roach misses two point jump shot | |||
19:22 | Elliot Cadeau defensive rebound | |||
18:57 | +2 | Armando Bacot makes two point layup | 4-0 | |
18:28 | +2 | Kyle Filipowski makes two point jump shot | 4-2 | |
18:18 | Cormac Ryan turnover (bad pass) | |||
18:07 | Kyle Filipowski misses two point jump shot | |||
18:05 | Harrison Ingram defensive rebound | |||
18:01 | +3 | Cormac Ryan makes three point jump shot (RJ Davis assists) | 7-2 | |
17:50 | Jared McCain misses two point layup | |||
17:48 | RJ Davis defensive rebound | |||
17:45 | +3 | Cormac Ryan makes three point jump shot (Harrison Ingram assists) | 10-2 | |
17:23 | +2 | Mark Mitchell makes two point layup (Tyrese Proctor assists) | 10-4 | |
16:57 | +2 | Harrison Ingram makes two point jump shot | 12-4 | |
16:40 | Kyle Filipowski misses two point jump shot | |||
16:38 | Elliot Cadeau defensive rebound | |||
16:34 | Cormac Ryan misses two point layup | |||
16:32 | Kyle Filipowski defensive rebound | |||
16:30 | Jared McCain turnover (bad pass) (Elliot Cadeau steals) | |||
16:26 | +3 | Cormac Ryan makes three point jump shot (Elliot Cadeau assists) | 15-4 | |
16:26 | Blue Devils 30 second timeout | |||
16:26 | TV timeout | |||
16:01 | Jeremy Roach turnover (lost ball) (Cormac Ryan steals) | |||
15:35 | Cormac Ryan misses three point jump shot | |||
15:34 | Armando Bacot offensive rebound | |||
15:34 | Tar Heels 30 second timeout | |||
15:21 | +2 | Elliot Cadeau makes two point layup | 17-4 | |
15:08 | Elliot Cadeau personal foul (Jared McCain draws the foul) | |||
14:54 | +2 | Tyrese Proctor makes two point layup | 17-6 | |
14:28 | Armando Bacot misses two point layup | |||
14:26 | Jae'Lyn Withers offensive rebound | |||
14:23 | +2 | Jae'Lyn Withers makes two point layup | 19-6 | |
14:06 | Kyle Filipowski misses three point jump shot | |||
14:04 | Jae'Lyn Withers defensive rebound | |||
13:50 | Sean Stewart blocks RJ Davis's two point layup | |||
13:48 | Tar Heels offensive rebound | |||
13:37 | Seth Trimble turnover (out of bounds) | |||
13:16 | Jeremy Roach misses two point layup | |||
13:14 | Jae'Lyn Withers defensive rebound | |||
13:14 | Sean Stewart personal foul (Jae'Lyn Withers draws the foul) | |||
12:53 | +2 | Jalen Washington makes two point dunk (RJ Davis assists) | 21-6 | |
12:30 | +2 | Jared McCain makes two point jump shot | 21-8 | |
12:11 | Jalen Washington misses three point jump shot | |||
12:09 | Tyrese Proctor defensive rebound | |||
12:05 | Jeremy Roach misses three point jump shot | |||
12:03 | Sean Stewart offensive rebound | |||
11:49 | Jared McCain turnover (out of bounds) | |||
11:48 | TV timeout | |||
11:38 | Elliot Cadeau turnover (bad pass) (Tyrese Proctor steals) | |||
11:34 | +2 | Tyrese Proctor makes two point dunk | 21-10 | |
11:12 | +2 | Seth Trimble makes two point jump shot | 23-10 | |
10:53 | +2 | Jared McCain makes two point jump shot | 23-12 | |
10:37 | Mark Mitchell blocks Harrison Ingram's two point layup | |||
10:35 | Harrison Ingram offensive rebound | |||
10:33 | +2 | Harrison Ingram makes two point jump shot | 25-12 | |
10:12 | Mark Mitchell misses three point jump shot | |||
10:10 | Harrison Ingram defensive rebound | |||
9:47 | +2 | Elliot Cadeau makes two point layup | 27-12 | |
9:26 | Harrison Ingram blocks Jeremy Roach's two point layup | |||
9:24 | Cormac Ryan defensive rebound | |||
9:15 | Armando Bacot misses two point dunk | |||
9:13 | Mark Mitchell defensive rebound | |||
9:03 | Harrison Ingram shooting foul (Mark Mitchell draws the foul) | |||
9:03 | Mark Mitchell misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
9:03 | +1 | Mark Mitchell makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 27-13 | |
8:44 | TJ Power blocks Cormac Ryan's two point layup | |||
8:42 | Jared McCain defensive rebound | |||
8:37 | Kyle Filipowski misses three point jump shot | |||
8:35 | Jared McCain offensive rebound | |||
8:34 | Tyrese Proctor misses three point jump shot | |||
8:32 | Kyle Filipowski offensive rebound | |||
8:30 | +2 | Kyle Filipowski makes two point layup | 27-15 | |
8:09 | Kyle Filipowski personal foul (Armando Bacot draws the foul) | |||
8:04 | +3 | RJ Davis makes three point jump shot (Armando Bacot assists) | 30-15 | |
7:48 | Elliot Cadeau shooting foul (TJ Power draws the foul) | |||
7:49 | TV timeout | |||
7:48 | +1 | TJ Power makes regular free throw 1 of 3 | 30-16 | |
7:48 | TJ Power misses regular free throw 2 of 3 | |||
7:48 | +1 | TJ Power makes regular free throw 3 of 3 | 30-17 | |
7:35 | Sean Stewart shooting foul (Harrison Ingram draws the foul) | |||
7:35 | +1 | Harrison Ingram makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 31-17 | |
7:35 | Harrison Ingram misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
7:35 | Jared McCain defensive rebound | |||
7:08 | Jeremy Roach misses two point jump shot | |||
7:06 | Ryan Young offensive rebound | |||
7:02 | RJ Davis shooting foul (Jared McCain draws the foul) | |||
7:02 | +1 | Jared McCain makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 31-18 | |
7:02 | +1 | Jared McCain makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 31-19 | |
6:43 | RJ Davis turnover (lost ball) (Tyrese Proctor steals) | |||
6:39 | +2 | Tyrese Proctor makes two point layup | 31-21 | |
6:26 | +2 | Seth Trimble makes two point layup | 33-21 | |
6:09 | Kyle Filipowski misses two point layup | |||
6:07 | Harrison Ingram defensive rebound | |||
5:58 | Harrison Ingram misses two point jump shot | |||
5:56 | Jared McCain defensive rebound | |||
5:50 | Jeremy Roach misses two point layup | |||
5:48 | Armando Bacot defensive rebound | |||
5:45 | RJ Davis misses three point jump shot | |||
5:43 | Harrison Ingram offensive rebound | |||
5:29 | Harrison Ingram misses three point jump shot | |||
5:27 | Kyle Filipowski defensive rebound | |||
5:13 | +3 | Jared McCain makes three point jump shot (Jeremy Roach assists) | 33-24 | |
4:58 | +2 | RJ Davis makes two point jump shot | 35-24 | |
4:43 | Jared McCain misses three point jump shot | |||
4:41 | Tar Heels defensive rebound | |||
4:26 | RJ Davis turnover (lost ball) (Ryan Young steals) | |||
4:23 | Cormac Ryan personal foul (Jared McCain draws the foul) | |||
4:20 | +3 | Tyrese Proctor makes three point jump shot (Jared McCain assists) | 35-27 | |
3:51 | Harrison Ingram misses two point jump shot | |||
3:49 | Jared McCain defensive rebound | |||
3:41 | Jared McCain misses two point jump shot | |||
3:39 | RJ Davis defensive rebound | |||
3:35 | RJ Davis misses three point jump shot | |||
3:33 | Ryan Young defensive rebound | |||
3:19 | Paxson Wojcik personal foul (Tyrese Proctor draws the foul) | |||
3:19 | TV timeout | |||
3:18 | Jared McCain turnover (bad pass) (Seth Trimble steals) | |||
3:18 | Mark Mitchell personal foul (Seth Trimble draws the foul) | |||
2:57 | +2 | Seth Trimble makes two point jump shot | 37-27 | |
2:28 | Seth Trimble shooting foul (Jared McCain draws the foul) | |||
2:28 | +1 | Jared McCain makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 37-28 | |
2:28 | +1 | Jared McCain makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 37-29 | |
2:15 | Kyle Filipowski shooting foul (Cormac Ryan draws the foul) | |||
2:15 | +1 | Cormac Ryan makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 38-29 | |
2:15 | Cormac Ryan misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
2:15 | Jared McCain defensive rebound | |||
1:54 | Jeremy Roach misses three point jump shot | |||
1:52 | Ryan Young offensive rebound | |||
1:48 | Tyrese Proctor misses three point jump shot | |||
1:46 | Armando Bacot defensive rebound | |||
1:32 | RJ Davis misses two point jump shot | |||
1:30 | Armando Bacot offensive rebound | |||
1:27 | Armando Bacot misses two point layup | |||
1:25 | Kyle Filipowski defensive rebound | |||
1:03 | +2 | Jeremy Roach makes two point layup | 38-31 | |
0:39 | Jae'Lyn Withers misses three point jump shot | |||
0:37 | Tyrese Proctor defensive rebound | |||
0:10 | Tyrese Proctor misses three point jump shot | |||
0:08 | Harrison Ingram defensive rebound | |||
0:03 | Harrison Ingram misses two point jump shot | |||
0:01 | Jae'Lyn Withers offensive rebound | |||
0:01 | +2 | Jae'Lyn Withers makes two point layup | 40-31 | |
0:00 | End of period |