Duke beats North Carolina in low-scoring affair to advance to first Elite Eight in over a decade

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The rivalry between Duke and North Carolina is well documented, but Friday afternoon brought a new moment — the first-ever meeting in the NCAA Tournament. And the stakes were plenty high, with the winner advancing to its first Elite Eight in over a decade.

There were few surprises in the third meeting of the season, resulting in the lowest combined point total of the three games (85). In the end, Duke continued its winning streak and prevailed 47-38 to advance to its first Elite Eight since 2008.

Friday’s matchup was a defensive struggle, with both teams shooting under 35 percent from the field and under 60 percent from the free-throw line. The Tar Heels seized control early, jumping out to an 11-0 lead in the first quarter. But Duke settled in and outscored North Carolina by a 47-27 margin in the final 34 minutes for the win.

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For North Carolina, the shooting struggles of its top players was the storyline. The Tar Heels’ top four scorers on the season, Maria Gakdeng, Alyssa Ustby, Lexi Donarski and Reniya Kelly, combined for just 22 points.

Duke’s Ashlon Jackson’s eight second-half points led all scorers. Jackson’s 10 total points finished second only to sophomore Oluchi Okananwa, who led all players in scoring and rebounding with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

The Blue Devils (29-7) will play the winner of South Carolina-Maryland on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.

Duke’s win is a milestone moment in Kara Lawson’s tenure

In 2020, Lawson took over a Blue Devils program that had missed the NCAA Tournament three times in the previous five years. What immediately followed was a COVID-19-shortened season of just four games. Five years later, Duke will play for its first Elite Eight since 2003.

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“Playing for her, it’s everything for me,” Jackson said Thursday. “I pretty much can speak for everyone that wears a jersey that says Duke.”

Lawson reached another important milestone a few weeks ago, capturing the ACC Tournament title,…

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Publish date : 2025-03-28 21:16:00

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