This game is something else. I can't even think straight right now and really don't even know what time of day it is. This game has me in a daze.
You hear all the cliches of throw out the record books, razor thin margins, etc. But, that's because they're all true. This is in fact the greatest rivalry in all of sports and we got yet another incredible chapter again today in UNC’s 71-68 win over Duke.
The first half was one story for UNC. They seemed tight in the moment and Duke's defense was not helping their cause. Henri Veesaar was also a no show. Caleb Wilson was essentially trying to play hero ball, doing it pretty well, but it was not going to be enough.
In the second half everything changed. Henri Veesaar came alive and Duke got into foul trouble down the stretch. Pat Ngongba even fouled out late in the second half.
Then, things got crazy. The Tar Heels trailed by six with just over a minute to play. The Smith Center was getting loud. Derek Dixon who has been such a key piece of the Tar Heels growth in the last several weeks hit a three to cut it to three.
North Carolina held Duke on the other end, then proceeded to come back up the floor and Henri Veesaar buried a three to tie the game. Chapel Hill erupted.
On the other side, Cam Boozer tried to go up, but missed a layup that was tightly defended.
In the timeout, Roy Williams could be seen on the jumbotron firing up the crowd just like he used to back when he was in his coaching days.
Once Carolina in bounded the ball to Derek Dixon, Seth Trimble was found wide open in the corner and the shot went up. Canned it. What happened next was pandemonium.
Students flooded the floor. A full on court storm after a Carolina-Duke game. Something I’ve never seen before in my life.
As insane as that was, then the PA announcer can be heard over the loud speakers emphatically telling students to get off the floor because there was .4 seconds left.
It took over five minutes to get everybody off the floor to finish out the game, but the final buzzer eventually sounded and the court was stormed a second time.
It was the first and only time UNC led the game and it was the moment that mattered. This rivalry is undefeated and always will be.