What Hubert Davis said after UNC loses rematch vs. Duke

The UNC-Duke basketball rivalry is always a fun one to watch. Saturday’s rematch felt a little different, though.

North Carolina trailed by just five points at halftime, but the Blue Devils overwhelmed them in the second half. The Tar Heels lost, 76-61 and will now look ahead to the ACC Tournament.

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You may hear the excuses of, “UNC didn’t have Caleb Wilson.” That’s a lame excuse. North Carolina (24-7, 12-6 ACC) hung in there with the nation’s best team tonight, weathering punches, an extremely tough environment and – as always in trips to Cameron Indoor Stadium – a couple of questionable calls/no-calls.

Statistically, the Tar Heels played a fairly even game with Duke (29-1, 17-1 ACC). UNC outshot the Blue Devils, 45-42 percent overall and 38-31% from deep. In a rarity this season, North Carolina shot a perfect 4-for-4 from the line, while Duke only made eight of its 15 free throws.

The Tar Heels struggled immensely with ball security, though, turning the basketball over 14 times. The Blue Devils took full advantage of this, turning those UNC mishaps into 24 points. Duke also out-rebounded North Carolina, 42-29, plus enjoyed a 36-28 points in the paint advantage.

Derek Dixon enjoyed a big night on the score sheet, leading the Tar Heels with 17 points. Cameron Boozer was the best player on the court, though, recording a 26-point, 15-rebound double-double.

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Hubert Davis has a few days to prepare his players for the ACC Tournament, with a Thursday matchup awaiting 3-seed North Carolina. Take a look at what UNC’s head coach had to say postgame. All quotes are via TarHeel247’s Jarvis Hicks:

On Duke’s 30-6 run to blow the game open

“Well, I mean, it was them. At the beginning of the game I was clear and definitive on things that we had to do better compared to the first time we played them. One of them, number one on the list, was rebounding. We gave up 18 offensive rebounds. That’s just not sustainable. We also needed to do a better job taking care of the…

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Publish date : 2026-03-08 13:40:00

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