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CHAPEL HILL — Duke was like a boxer who got KO’d eight days earlier coming back for more. No. 2 North Carolina again had a withering offensive punch, with former Blue Devils star Macon Winslow delivering the biggest blows with a career-high five RBI to back shutdown pitching.
Here is a complete transcript and video from No. 1 Duke’s press conference, with Coach Jon Scheyer and Cameron Boozer, after its season-ending 73-72 loss in the East Regional final to UConn.
DURHAM — Jon Scheyer knows that it doesn’t matter that Duke is ranked No. 4 and is rolling on a 10-game win streak. The third-year Duke coach has been around the rivalry for enough years to know that the Blue Devils’ 21–1 record will be irrelevant when his team arrives at the Smith Center for Saturday night’s 6:30 game (ESPN) against No. 14 North Carolina (18–4, 5–3 ACC).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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