Staff Writer
The
Duke Blue Devils and UNC Tar Heels will write the next chapter in their storied
history Saturday at 9 p.m at the Dean Smith Center. Duke is ranked third in the
nation and second in the ACC, while UNC stands at nineteenth in the nation and
fifth in the ACC. The two teams already squared off once this season, on
February 18 on Duke’s home court. The Blue Devils defeated the Tar Heels 92-90
in overtime in an incredibly hard fought battle.
The
rivalry between the two teams could not have been more tightly contested over
the last few decades. In their last 88 matchups, each team has won 44 games. It
has always seemed that regardless of the standings, this tilt could go either
way.
The
key for UNC will be junior guard Marcus Paige, who has been the team’s leader
throughout the season but was shut down in the first matchup with Duke. The Tar
Heels will need to rely on his three point shooting to stretch the Duke
defense. Duke needs superstar Jahlil Okafor to show up, he was shut down
offensively and struggled from the free throw line in the first game, and it
hurt the Blue Devils. The game will surely provide must-see-TV once again in a
game college basketball fans won’t want to miss.
