Depleted Heels battle but run out of gas at Duke in second half

DURHAM — No matter how many players are out, No. 8 North Carolina just keeps putting up a fight, regardless of the opponent. Against No. 16 Duke, freshman Lanie Grant — in her first college start — did her best to make up for playing without stars Reniya Kelly and Alyssa Ustby as UNC led by one at halftime. But the Blue Devils had too much firepower at the end, pulling away for a 68–53 victory Thursday at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Duke’s Roach has faced UNC seven times, but his most memorable might be surprising

DURHAM — Duke senior Jeremy Roach has played rival North Carolina seven times, but his most memorable game against the Tar Heels isn’t the one you would guess.

UNC, Duke keep winning, and ticket prices to see them meet keep going up

Tickets for a UNC-Duke game that cost at least $119 (with fees) on secondary ticket markets would be considered a pretty good deal if it was men’s basketball. That number is eye-popping for football, considering the struggles of both programs over the years, particularly the Blue Devils.

Hubert Davis good friends with Laettner? He said that revelation shocks many

There was quite a bit of vitriol from North Carolina fans toward Christian Laettner during his time at Duke and that hasn’t changed over the years. ESPN even produced a 30 for 30 documentary called “I Hate Christian Laettner. Many Tar Heels fans agree with that sentiment but UNC coach Hubert Davis isn’t in that group.

Krzyzewski won’t leave his final Smith Center game with a retirement gift

When coaches go through the final seasons of their careers, it often becomes a retirement tour with gifts handed out at each stop. That won’t happen on Feb. 5 when Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski coaches his final game at the Smith Center.