Duke Takes On North Carolina In The Rubber Match In The Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament Semifinals

The two rivals that are eight miles apart will take on each other for the third time this season as they meet in the semifinals at the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament in Brooklyn New York at the Barclays Center Friday night. 

Duke and North Carolina split the regular season series with each team winning on their home court. 

Duke comes into their game with North Carolina with a record of 26-6 haven routed Notre Dame in the quarterfinals behind an outstanding performance from Marvin Bagley III.

Marvin Bagley III had 33 points and 17 rebounds, Grayson Allen made his first five 3-pointers and No. 5 Duke rolled to an 88-70 victory over Notre Dame in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament quarterfinals Thursday night. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211704927

Allen finished with 23 points and the second-seeded Blue Devils (26-6) advanced to play No. 3 seed Miami or 12th-ranked and sixth-seeded North Carolina in the second semifinal Friday night."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211704927

Duke, the defending champion after beating Notre Dame in the title game last year, earned its 100th ACC Tournament victory."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211704927

Bonzie Colson had 18 points and nine rebounds for the 10th-seeded Fighting Irish (20-14), who were unable to score the marquee victory over a top team that might have been a huge boost to their NCAA Tournament resume. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211704927

Injuries to Colson and senior guard Matt Farrell derailed Notre Dame in the middle of the season, and now the Irish have to hope the selection committee focuses on how good they can be when healthy."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211704927

The undersized Fighting Irish had no answer for Bagley's size and athleticism in the lane. The freshman phenom and ACC Player of the Year came within one point of his career high set against Texas in late November. It was his fourth game with at least 30 points and 15 rebounds."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211704927

Trevon Duval dished out 11 assists for the Blue Devils, who overcame foul trouble for big man Wendell Carter Jr. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211704927

When the Irish lost 88-66 at Duke in late January during a seven-game skid, Colson and Farrell were both out. So they had good reason to believe this matchup could be much different. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211704927

The game began at a blistering pace, with both teams zooming up and down the court. They combined to go 8 for 13 on 3-pointers and Duke already had a 25-17 lead before the first timeout 7:18 in. Allen was 4 for 4 from outside the arc at that point, hitting three straight before Notre Dame coach Mike Brey called a timeout. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211704927

With the Irish playing their third game in three days, this one against a rested Duke squad that had been off since beating rival North Carolina on Saturday night, the fast start seemed to favor the Blue Devils as they built a 13-point advantage midway through the first half."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211704927

But the Irish trimmed that to 41-37 at halftime -- despite Allen's 17 points -- and quickly got within two 40 seconds into the second. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211704927

That's when Duke took control as Bagley and Duval combined for 10 points in a 12-2 spurt that gave the Blue Devils a 53-41 cushion."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211704927

Duke extended it to 80-62 with 4:30 remaining, and there would be no big rally for the Fighting Irish on this night. Notre Dame won its first two games in the tournament, erasing a 21-point deficit in the second half Wednesday night against Virginia Tech for the biggest comeback in school history."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211704927

BATTLE FOR BROOKLYN

Duke is 7-0 at Barclays Center, including last year's four-game run to win the first ACC Tournament held in Brooklyn. Notre Dame is 9-3 at Barclays ."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211704927

BIG PICTURE

Notre Dame: Hard to know how the NCAA Tournament selection committee will evaluate a team that went 14-5 with Colson and 6-9 without him. Farrell also missed several games during Colson's absence with an injured ankle. Brey said he now has a top-20 team that his stars are healthy and it deserves a spot in the field of 68. Notre Dame opened 13-3 this season and was ranked No. 5 in the country in late November after beating then-No. 6 Wichita State to win the Maui Invitational. Now, the Irish must hope they did enough with Colson and Farrell in the lineup to impress the committee. If not, Notre Dame could be a favorite to win the NIT."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211704927

Duke: With a chance to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAAs, the Blue Devils are looking for their second consecutive ACC Tournament championship. They already have a record 20. ... Duke improved to 100-44 in the ACC Tournament, including 62-22 with 14 championships in 38 appearances under coach Mike Krzyzewski. ... Since switching primarily to a 2/3 zone defense, an uncharacteristic move for Krzyzewski, the Blue Devils have won seven of eight. Before that they had dropped three of four."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211704927

North Carolina meanwhile comes into their game with  Duke with a record of 24-9 "according to http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/standings/_/group/2 and is coming off a win over Miami in the second game of the quarterfinals.

Theo Pinson dived on a loose ball, pulling it away from a Miami player, and quickly pushed it ahead to Cameron Johnson to start a North Carolina fast break that ended with Kenny Williams' layup. "according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/3/8/mens-basketball-pinson-leads-tar-heels-past-hurricanes.aspx

That put the Tar Heels up 10 on the Hurricanes with 2 minutes left, all but wrapping up a second straight Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament semifinals meeting between North Carolina and Duke in Brooklyn. "according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/3/8/mens-basketball-pinson-leads-tar-heels-past-hurricanes.aspx

Pinson scored a career-high 25 points and had 11 rebounds, helping the Tar Heels recover from a horrific start and awful shooting by their leading scorers to beat No. 24 Miami 82-65 on Thursday night."according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/3/8/mens-basketball-pinson-leads-tar-heels-past-hurricanes.aspx

For a second straight year, Tobacco Road's biggest rivalry will be played on Flatbush Avenue."according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/3/8/mens-basketball-pinson-leads-tar-heels-past-hurricanes.aspx

The sixth-seeded Tar Heels (24-9) face the fifth-ranked and second-seeded Blue Devils for the third time this season on Friday night for a spot in the championship game — just as they did last year in the tournament's debut at Barclays Center."according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/3/8/mens-basketball-pinson-leads-tar-heels-past-hurricanes.aspx

"It's a big-time game," Pinson said. "I mean, everybody and their mama going to be watching the game tomorrow, everybody knows that. Going to be ready. My teammates are going to be ready." "according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/3/8/mens-basketball-pinson-leads-tar-heels-past-hurricanes.aspx

It will be the 22nd time Duke and North Carolina play in the ACC Tournament. Duke leads 13-8, including six wins in a row since North Carolina's victory in the 1998 championship game. Last year, Duke went on to win the ACC title."according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/3/8/mens-basketball-pinson-leads-tar-heels-past-hurricanes.aspx

"You know, last year we lost this game that's going to be played tomorrow," North Carolina coach Roy Williams said. "I think we kept playing." "according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/3/8/mens-basketball-pinson-leads-tar-heels-past-hurricanes.aspx

The Tar Heels did indeed, winning the NCAA Tournament."according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/3/8/mens-basketball-pinson-leads-tar-heels-past-hurricanes.aspx

Duke rode freshman star Marvin Bagley III, who had 33 points and 17 rebounds, to a victory against Notre Dame in Thursday night's first game. Meanwhile, Pinson has had consecutive double-doubles here and six in his last 14 games. "according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/3/8/mens-basketball-pinson-leads-tar-heels-past-hurricanes.aspx

"I don't see anything common right now," the 6-foot-6 senior Pinson said, with a smile, about the 6-11 future NBA lottery pick. "We just both have a double-double." "according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/3/8/mens-basketball-pinson-leads-tar-heels-past-hurricanes.aspx

Ja'Quan Newton, who beat North Carolina nine days ago in Chapel Hill with a 40-foot buzzer beater, scored 17 points for third-seeded Miami (22-9). "according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/3/8/mens-basketball-pinson-leads-tar-heels-past-hurricanes.aspx

"We played a great game against them in Chapel Hill nine or 10 days ago and were hoping to play that well today, but we really showed our inexperience," Miami coach Jim Larranaga said.
Pinson scored 10 points in 3 1/2 minutes of the second half, including a corner 3 to make it 69-63 with 4:25 left. Forty-two seconds later, Pinson dribbled through the Miami press and threw down a slam that had the UNC fans chanting "Taarrr! Heels!" "according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/3/8/mens-basketball-pinson-leads-tar-heels-past-hurricanes.aspx

"I thought Theo was sensational ... really controlled the whole tempo of the game on the offensive end," Williams said."according to
http://goheels.com/news/2018/3/8/mens-basketball-pinson-leads-tar-heels-past-hurricanes.aspx
Carolina needed all it could get from Pinson.

Luke Maye, UNC's leading scorer, went 1 for 15 from the field and point guard Joel Berry II shot 4 for 14, playing through a twisted ankle that sent him to the locker room early in the second half.
Maye, UNC's leading scorer, went 1 for 15 from the field and point guard Joel Berry II shot 4 for 14, playing through a twisted ankle. "according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/3/8/mens-basketball-pinson-leads-tar-heels-past-hurricanes.aspx


BIG PICTURE
North Carolina: The Tar Heels have been gritty and Pinson has been brilliant in pulling away from Syracuse and Miami here in Brooklyn. But they'll need to knock down more shots to deal with Duke. Other than Pinson, the Tar Heels were 20 for 59 from the field (34 percent). "according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/3/8/mens-basketball-pinson-leads-tar-heels-past-hurricanes.aspx

Miami: Freshman Chris Lykes and Lonnie Walker IV have stepped up for Miami since Bruce Brown was injured 12 games ago. Against UNC, they shot a combined 7 for 25."according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/3/8/mens-basketball-pinson-leads-tar-heels-past-hurricanes.aspx


BAD START, FORTUNATE FINISH
North Carolina went almost 7 minutes without scoring to start the game, missing its first 13 shots and falling behind 14-0. Tar Heels coach Roy Williams got so exasperated by his team he made a wholesale lineup change, all five starters out at once. The Duke fans who remained at Barclays after watching their team win the earlier game had a blast watching the Tar Heels struggle. "according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/3/8/mens-basketball-pinson-leads-tar-heels-past-hurricanes.aspx

Backup point guard Seventh Woods snapped the drought for UNC with a three-point play at 12:51."according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/3/8/mens-basketball-pinson-leads-tar-heels-past-hurricanes.aspx

The Tar Heels then finished with a flourish and grabbed the halftime lead when Cameron Johnson was fouled by Walker while getting off a 60-foot heave to beat the first-half buzzer. Johnson made all three free throws to put the Heels up 32-31 heading to the locker room."according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/3/8/mens-basketball-pinson-leads-tar-heels-past-hurricanes.aspx


OUCH
Miami's Anthony Lawrence played only 10 minutes of the first half after he appeared to tweak his ankle. He returned for the second half and hit a couple early 3s. In a span of about 2 minutes of clock time early in the second, Berry and Johnson both left the game after getting banged up. Berry twisted his left ankle getting off a shot, went to the locker room and returned within minutes. He re-entered when Johnson left after 245-pound Ebuka Izundu of Miami made a leap to block a shot and landed on Johnson's back. "according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/3/8/mens-basketball-pinson-leads-tar-heels-past-hurricanes.aspx

Soon after Berry landed an elbow to Izundu's face as he was scoring over the Miami big man and was called for a foul."according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/3/8/mens-basketball-pinson-leads-tar-heels-past-hurricanes.aspx

Johnson came back with what North Carolina called a hip injury."according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/3/8/mens-basketball-pinson-leads-tar-heels-past-hurricanes.aspx

Tip-off is set for 9:00pm. The game will be televised on the ESPN/ ACC Network "according to http://www.goduke.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=4200&SPID=1845&SPSID=22726