For 20 minutes, North Carolina gave itself a real chance.
That was the encouraging part in a 76-61 loss at Duke on Saturday night. Even without Caleb Wilson, and even in one of the toughest road environments in the sport, the Tar Heels were very much in the game at halftime, trailing just 39-34.
Carolina even cut the deficit to 47-44 with 16:41 left in the second half, keeping the pressure on and putting the game in a spot where one more push could have made things very interesting.
But that was the moment Duke took over.
From there, the Blue Devils delivered the decisive stretch of the game, ripping off what essentially became a 20-2 avalanche and turning a competitive rivalry game into a double-digit loss. That run was the difference.
Carolina hung around with toughness and enough shot-making to stay within striking distance, but once Duke’s pressure ramped up, the Tar Heels struggled to handle the extra possessions, live-ball turnovers and second-chance opportunities that followed.
The numbers show where the game slipped. Carolina actually shot better from the floor than Duke, 45.3 percent to 42.0 percent, but lost the rebound battle 42-29 and committed 14 turnovers. Duke turned those extra possessions into separation, while Carolina managed only 27 points after halftime. Against the No. 1 team in the country, that combination is almost impossible to survive.
Wilson’s absence was impossible to ignore. Carolina was already asking a lot of its rotation going into Durham, and losing one of its most dynamic two-way players before the regular-season finale only made the challenge tougher. Wilson’s size, athleticism and versatility are exactly the kind of traits that could have helped Carolina on the glass, at the rim and defensively in a game like this.
The Tar Heels battled without him, but against a Duke team with this much length and depth, they clearly missed another impact body.
That is what made this one frustrating from a Carolina perspective. The Tar Heels did enough to make it a game for a half and into the early part of the second. But once Duke found another gear, Carolina did not have the answers to stop the run.
For a while, UNC looked capable of making this rivalry game uncomfortable. Then the Blue Devils reminded everyone why they have looked like the best team in the country.
On to the ACC Tournament.