High on a seven-game winning streak—four of them by at least 30 points—Duke Blue Devils’ coach Jon Scheyer was bored. He craved action, he craved excitement. And more than anything, he craved an opponent who wouldn’t go down without a fight. And that’s exactly what happened on Saturday. As Duke entered Smith Center for a shot at the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title vs the North Carolina Tar Heels, the tension was palpable. However, as Duke edged out with an iconic win, what instead caught attention were some visible tears in the stands. But before we get to that…

March 8 was important for a lot of reasons. It wasn’t just Tar Heel graduate students RJ Davis, Jae’Lyn Withers, and Ty Claude’s final regular season home appearances, but also a shot at an NCAA tournament, and the UNC’s chance at redemption after a Feb 1 70-87 upset against Duke. Unfortunately, though, the chance slipped away despite multiple lead changes that kept fans on their toes. Early on, the Blue Devils looked unstopped with a 15 point lead in the first half. Unfortunately, with 3:18 left in the half, Cooper Flagg took the bench after three fouls, which evidently lifted their opponents’ spirits.

Soon enough, the Tar Heels made a heel-turn (pun intended) answering with a 22-6 burst late in the first half, and early in the second half to take the lead for the first time during the game. The lead then took shape in their biggest of the night at 56-49, before the Blue Devils closed the night with a 33-13 run in the final 15 minutes. Ultimately, North Carolina fell 69-82, shattering their dreams of reaching the NCAAs for the second time in coach Hubert Davis’ four seasons.

Cooper Flagg finished with 15 points, six assists and nine rebounds, while Kon Knueppel led with 17 points, three assists, and two rebounds. Sion James, on the other hand, added 16 points, one assist, and eight rebounds. As for their opponents, RJ Davis was on fire adding a team-high 20 points, three assists, and three rebounds, while Ven Allen Lubin left a mark with 11 points, and six rebounds. One thing worth mentioning is how UNC stuck to their game plan and contained Cooper Flagg to just 15 points. So where did the North Carolina team struggle?

The answer is simple—Duke shot lights out from deep. Amidst analysts warning Hubert Davis about how dangerous the Blue Devils are from inside the arc, their shooting went unseen. They focused on preventing Flagg from making his way into the paint and running the offense through him. What they forgot, however, was that there was a certain six-foot-seven shooter that gave them problems last time!

Kneuppel went about business as usual, dropping 17 points on a staggering 7-for-10 shooting from the field and 3-for-6 from deep! The Blue Devils made every shot count, and sent the Chapel Hill supporters packing. Even though both schools are very close, the ride home must have felt like an eternity for Tar Heels players.

While Duke celebrated a perfect end to a near-perfect season, UNC supporters were figuring out what’s next for their team. However, one video in particular of a Tar Heels fan gained widespread attention from Duke nation!

Duke fans react to video of UNC fan crying

There was one UNC supporter who made her disappointment known publicly after the humiliation they suffered. During the live broadcast after the game, a young woman in a Tar Heels jersey was seen crying because of the loss!

Top Comment by Mkoger

It is intense, even when one team has a rough year. What isn’t impressive is the writing in this article....more

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On the Duke Men’s Basketball subreddit, the video of the UNC fan crying was posted. In the comments, Blue Devils fans were rejoicing their victory. “The sweetest kind,” they wrote reacting to the win.

Another fan delved deep into the video, noticing Cooper Flagg chirping at the beginning of the video. “Gotta love how it shows Coop talking sh-t right before too.” The Blue Devils star was saying something along the lines of “What did I say? I told you!” There were positive signs everywhere for Cooper Flagg’s team. Even with the Maine Event taking a backseat, his teammates brought it home! Another overwhelmingly positive sign for Duke was the return of six-foot-nine defensive menace Maliq Brown. He had been out for nearly a month due to a shoulder injury, and his presence consolidated the lineup’s defense greatly.

All in all, it was a good day for Duke basketball. Another Blue Devils supporter on the subreddit excitedly cheered his team on. “What a Great SEASON LETS GO DUKE,” they wrote.

Jon Scheyer’s team is headed towards the ACC tournament with a pep in their step and a ton of confidence. It will be interesting to see how their postseason campaign starts off. From how they have been playing in the regular season so far, there’s a dominant showing in store for the ACC.