Most memorable finishes in Duke-UNC rivalry: From game-winning shots to brawls

The Battle of the Blues rivalry between North Carolina and Duke has created some of the most memorable college basketball finishes in the history of the sport.

Entering Saturday’s game at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina leads the series 143-115.

Here’s a look at some of the most exciting finishes in the history of college basketball’s best rivalry:

April 2, 2022

The Final Four game sent Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski into retirement after 42 seasons with the program. Love’s 28 points in the contest led all scorers.

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Duke’s loss in the Final Four came after unranked North Carolina upset No. 4 Duke 94-81 on March 5, 2022, in Coach K’s final home game at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

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Feb. 18, 2015

Both teams gathered at center court before the game for a moment of silence to honor Smith.

UNC took a 10-point lead with four minutes left despite trailing at halftime. Duke finished regulation with a 9-2 run to force overtime. The Blue Devils won in overtime, 92-90.

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Feb. 8, 2012

At the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels led by 10 points with a little bit more than two minutes left.

Back-to-back 3-pointers brought the Blue Devils to within four points.

With 14 seconds left, North Carolina center Tyler Zeller accidentally tipped in a Duke shot to give the Blue Devils two points and cut the Tar Heels’ lead to 1 point.

Zeller was fouled on the next play, and hit first free throw then missed the second.

“I said it was the best day of my life,” Rivers told ESPN’s Erin Andrews after the game.

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March 6, 2005

North Carolina was looking to claim its first outright ACC regular season championship since 1993. Duke legends J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams stood in the way. The duo combined for 39 points.

A Lee Melchionni 3-pointer late in the game gave Duke a 73-64 lead with about three minutes left.

UNC rallied to trail 73-71 with less than a minute left.

Duke’s Daniel Ewing brought the ball upcourt when UNC’s David Noel came from behind, forced a turnover and the Tar Heels came up with possession.

On the next play, UNC guard Raymond Felton was fouled. He made the first, and missed the second, leaving the Tar Heels down 73-72.

Felton tipped the ball to Marvin Williams, who banked in a shot and drew a foul. Williams made the free throw, giving UNC the 75-73 lead.

On the ensuing possession, Redick’s 3-point attempt from the left wing was just long. Ewing got a shot attempt of his own that fell short, and UNC students stormed the court in celebration.

Feb. 5, 2004

In the 2004 game against North Carolina in Chapel Hill, Duke guard Chris Duhon hit a game-winning reverse layup with 6.5 seconds left in overtime. The layup clinched the game for Duke, 83-81.

It was Roy Williams’ first home rivalry game as head coach against the Blue Devils.

“It’s kind of my ace of spades that I can always pull out and say, ‘Hey, remember that reverse layup that I put on you to win the game?’” Duhon said.

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Feb. 28, 1998

On Senior Day, the Blue Devils rallied from 17-point halftime deficit behind freshman star Elton Brand, who became the No. 1 overall pick of the 1999 NBA Draft. Duke was the No. 1 team in the country entering the game.

No. 3 UNC had national player of the year Antawn Jamison and future NBA star Vince Carter.

The game marked Krzyzewski's 500th career win. It ended with senior point guard Steve Wojciechowski running straight to his coach at the horn for a long embrace. It also marked one of the rare times the “Cameron Crazies” rushed the court.

Feb. 2, 1995

Back surgery forced Mike Krzyzewski to sit out most of the 1995 season. The Blue Devils suffered one of their worst seasons of Krzyzewski’s tenure, going 13-18, and 2-14 in the ACC.

Hosting the No. 2 Tar Heels, Rasheed Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse had dunk after dunk, and UNC built a 17-point lead. However, Duke would rally to force double overtime.

UNC center Serge Zwikker missed two free throws late in the first overtime period with the Blue Devils down 3 points with three seconds to go.

Duke guard Jeff Capel drained a desperation shot from the logo to force double overtime and send Cameron Indoor into madness. Although UNC won the game in double overtime, Capel’s shot lives on.

Feb. 5, 1992

Duke was the reigning national champions and entered this game with a 17-0 record.

North Carolina ended any discussion of Duke going undefeated despite not scoring a field goal in the final nine and half minutes of play.

In the final minute, Christian Laettner missed a pair of shots.

UNC hit its free throws down the stretch, including a pair by center Eric Montross.

Some people remember this contest as the “Bloody Montross Game.” Montross had to get stitches for a cut in the back of his head in the first half. Montross suffered the injury after colliding with a Duke player’s teeth

An elbow from a Duke player opened another cut under Montross’ eye.

Montross finished the game with 12 points, nine rebounds, three blocks and two steals and limited All-America center Christian Laettner to four field goals.

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March 12, 1989

North Carolina won the ACC Championship game 77-74 in a hard-fought game against Duke. J.R. Reid was named the tournament MVP.

However, when Duke’s Phil Henderson tried to crash North Carolina’s huddle, things got really chippy.

Duke’s Danny Ferry had a cut on his face after one of the scraps.

UNC guard King Rice made four consecutive free throws late in the game to help the Tar Heels seal the win.

The game was a rubber match considering both teams that had already won on each other’s floors that season.

March 13, 1988

Danny Ferry went 8-of-20 from the floor, but his shot with 1:25 left and Quin Snyder’s two free throws with four seconds remaining gave the Blue Devils a 65-61 win.

The win in the ACC tournament marked Krzyzewski’s first 3-0 season against the Tar Heels. It remains the only three-game sweep in which both teams were in the top 10 for every meeting.

The 1988 season marked the start of five consecutive Final Four appearances and two national championships for Duke.

March 10, 1984

North Carolina had won both regular-season games against Duke, which included a double-overtime thriller where Michael Jordan went off for 25 points to help UNC go undefeated in ACC play.

Duke had a 40-32 lead at halftime in the tournament. The Tar Heels started the second half on a 12-2 run to tie the game. Duke regained the lead, but with five seconds left, Jordan gathered an offensive rebound and put it back to cut Duke’s lead to 77-75.

Duke’s David Henderson would get fouled and miss his first free throw, and after the rebound, UNC called its final timeout with three seconds left. However, an errant inbounds pass would give the Blue Devils the ball and the upset.

March 2, 1974

Duke had an 8-point lead with 17 seconds in the second half at Carmichael Auditorium in Chapel Hill. (Note: This game was played before the invention of the 3-point shot, which wasn’t implemented until 1986. It was also before the shot clock was implemented in 1985 throughout NCAA men’s basketball.)

UNC’s Bobby Jones made two free throws to cut the deficit to 6 points.

Then, Walter Davis stole the inbounds pass and passed it to John Kuester for a layup, cutting Duke’s lead to 86-82.

Duke struggled to get the ball inbounds. Duke freshman Tate Armstrong had the ball knocked off of him to give the Tar Heels the ball back again.

Jones then made a layup to cut the deficit to 86-84.

Then, Duke’s Pete Kramer missed a free throw after getting fouled. UNC called a timeout. Trailing by 2 points with three seconds left, UNC took the ball to about the halfcourt line, where Walter Davis caught it, took three dribbles and banked in a long shot from the right wing that sent the game into overtime.

Nowadays, Davis’ shot would have been a 3-pointer.

The Tar Heels went on to win 96-92 in overtime.

The loss sank the Blue Devils to the bottom of the ACC in 1974. They also were last in the ACC in 1975 and 1976.

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March 2, 1968

Fred Lind was a reserve junior center for Duke, but he played in this rivalry game due to teammates’ fouls and injuries.

Lind blocked a shot at the end of regulation, made two free throws to force a second overtime and then hit a jump shot in the final seconds to force the third overtime.

Duke ended up winning 87-86.

Feb. 4, 1961

Duke won the game 81-77, but an aggressive foul by Blue Devils star Art Heyman sparked a gym-wide brawl.

Heyman fouled Tar Heels guard Larry Brown – who went on to become a legendary coach – and Brown responded with punches.

UNC teammate Donnie Walsh – who later became a front office executive for the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks – escalated the fight. It eventually led to a fight that included police and fans.

Heyman, Brown and Walsh received suspensions that lasted the rest of the regular season.

Also, Heyman had originally committed to North Carolina before switching to Duke in 1959.

Some people credit this fight as the spark that ignited the rivalry between Duke and UNC.